Shivnath Singh

Indian long-distance runner

Shivnath Singh
Personal information
Born	(1946-07-11)July 11, 1946 Majharia, Buxar, India
Died	June 6, 2003(2003-06-06) (aged 56) Jamshedpur, India
Sport
Country	India
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	5000 metres, 10000 metres, Marathon
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	10000 m: 28:58.1 (1978)^[1] marathon: 2:12 (1978) NR
Updated on 25 November 2018.

Shivnath Singh (July 11, 1946 – June 6, 2003) was one of the few great long-distance runners that India has produced. Singh represented India twice in the Asian games and twice at the Summer Olympics (1976 and 1980). He was born in Majharia, Buxar, Bihar in India.^[2] He joined the Indian Army in the Bihar Regiment and rose to the rank of Naib Subedar.^[2] He died on 6 June 2003 at Jamshedpur, India after a prolonged illness.^[3] He still holds India's national record for the marathon which he set in 1978.^[4] It is the longest standing Indian athletics record.

Career

He represented India at the 1976 Summer Olympics and placed 11th in the 1976 Olympic Men's Marathon.^[3] He dropped out of the 1980 Olympic Men's Marathon in Moscow.

Shivnath Singh competed barefoot throughout his running career.^[5] He holds the Indian national marathon record with a best time (2:12:00), a feat that he achieved in Jalandhar in 1978.^[3]

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing India
1973	Asian Championship	Marikina, Philippines		5000 m	14:17.0
1973	Asian Championship	Marikina, Philippines		10000 m	29:54.8
1975	Asian Championship	Seoul, South Korea		5000 m	14:01.2
1975	Asian Championship	Seoul, South Korea		10000 m	29:14.6
1976	Olympic Games	Montréal, Canada	11th	Marathon	2:16:22
1978	Jalandhar Marathon	Jalandhar, India	NR	Marathon	2:12:00^[6]
1980	Olympic Games	Moscow, Soviet Union	—	Marathon	DNF

References

^ Shivnath Singh at World Athletics
^ ^a ^b "Remembering Shivnath Singh, India's Greatest Marathon Runner". The Wire. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c "A great distance runner is no more". The Hindu. 7 June 2003. Retrieved 25 November 2018.^{[dead link]}
^ "Shivnath Singh was a brave runner with a heart of gold". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. TOI. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
^ "Shivnath Singh was a brave runner with a heart of gold". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
^ "Shivnath Singh: India's lion-hearted runner". www.sportskeeda.com. sportskeeda. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2018.