Rajesh Ramesh Wins 400m Gold In Indian Open 2026 Season Opener

Tamil Nadu quarter-miler Rajesh Ramesh opened his 2026 season in style at Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. He won gold in the men's Race A at the Seventh Indian Open 400m Competition 2026 in Kerala. He clocked 45.26 seconds, bettering his 2024 personal best.

Ramesh had clocked 45.54 seconds in 2024, before the Paris Olympic Games. Nagging injuries then kept the 27-year-old out for a spell. He returned in 2025 with 45.75 seconds, a season best. His fresh mark of 45.26 seconds underlined his recovery.

The men's 400m final was split into three races. Race A, Race B and Race C decided the overall order. Ramesh topped the field from Race A. Manu T.S. of NCOE Trivandrum finished second overall. Delhi international runner Amoj Jacob placed third overall from Race C.

Rajesh Ramesh wins 400 m

Ramesh led the men with his 45.26-second run. Manu TS clocked 45.96 seconds to come in the second position. Jacob recorded 45.99 seconds for third place. In the women's race, Tamil Nadu's Vithya Ramraj took gold. She clocked 53.31 seconds. JSW athlete Rashdeep Kaur was second. Karnataka's Vijay Kumari G.K. finished third overall.

Event	Athlete	State/Team	Time (seconds)
Men 400m	Rajesh Ramesh	Tamil Nadu	45.26
Men 400m	Manu TS	NCOE Trivandrum	45.96
Men 400m	Amoj Jacob	Delhi	45.99
Women 400m	Vithya Ramraj	Tamil Nadu	53.31
Women 400m	Rashdeep Kaur	JSW	53.62
Women 400m	Vijay Kumari GK	Karnataka	53.55

The women's 400m final ran in two groups, A and B. Vithya and Rashdeep, both in Group A, placed first and second. Vithya clocked 53.31 seconds. Rashdeep followed in 53.62 seconds. Vijay Kumari won Group B in 53.55 seconds to rank third overall.

U20 and U18 competitions

The meet also hosted U20 and U18 races in both sections. Young athletes from Bihar, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat featured. The format mirrored the senior schedule. The focus stayed on the 400m distance across all age groups.

Men's U20 And U18 Competitions

Category	Athlete	State	Time (seconds)
Men U20 400m	Piyush Raj	Bihar	47.11
Men U20 400m	Sahil Malik	Uttarakhand	47.28
Men U20 400m	Edvin Mathew	Kerala	47.65
Men U18 400m	Sayed Sabeer	Karnataka	47.73
Men U18 400m	Thanish Vijay Gaddam	Maharashtra	48.17
Men U18 400m	Hariharan R	NCOE Trivandrum	48.31

Women's U20 And U18 Competitions

Category	Athlete	State	Time (seconds)
Women U20 400m	Reshma	Uttar Pradesh	54.84
Women U20 400m	Isha Rajesh Jadav	Maharashtra	55.46
Women U20 400m	Dharani A	Tamil Nadu	55.63
Women U18 400m	Kashish Bhagat	Maharashtra	56.46
Women U18 400m	Nethra M	Tamil Nadu	59.54
Women U18 400m	Chaudhary Ashaben	Gujarat	59.62