Ranchi, Jharkhand witnessed a display of depth, endurance and organisational strength on Saturday as athletes from the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) clinched both the senior men’s and women’s team titles at the 60th National Cross Country Championships, underlining their supremacy in Indian long-distance running.
Competing on a challenging course that tested stamina and tactical discipline, RSPB runners outperformed strong state units and institutional teams to emerge as the overall senior team champions, reinforcing their status as the backbone of Indian endurance athletics.
Harmanjot Singh leads men’s individual race
The senior men’s 10km individual race saw a high-quality contest led by Harmanjot Singh of the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB), who produced a commanding performance to take gold in 30:33. Harmanjot maintained a relentless pace from the early stages and held his form through the final kilometres to keep his challengers at bay.
Behind him, Punit of Uttar Pradesh and Ankit of SSCB both clocked 30:50, finishing second and third respectively in a tightly contested sprint for the podium. While SSCB claimed the individual honours, it was the collective consistency of RSPB athletes that proved decisive in the team standings.
With a total of 38 points, RSPB won the men’s team title, narrowly edging Uttar Pradesh (40 points), while Rajasthan (48 points) finished third. The result highlighted how small margins across four scorers can shape championship outcomes in cross-country racing.
The women’s 10km event was dominated by Nandani Gupta of RSPB, who delivered a composed and technically sound race to win in 35:42.28. Her victory was the cornerstone of RSPB’s success in the women’s team category.
Ujala of Uttar Pradesh finished second in 36:50.73, while Soniya of Uttarakhand claimed third with 37:06.04. However, RSPB’s depth across the field proved decisive, allowing them to accumulate just 16 points to comfortably win the women’s team title, well ahead of Uttar Pradesh (30 points) and Kerala (69 points). With victories in both senior men’s and women’s team events, RSPB established itself as the dominant endurance force of the championship.
Youth categories show strong state performances
The men’s U20 8km race was won by Mohit Choudhary of Telangana, who clocked 25:04.31 in a brisk contest. Sailesh Kushwaha (Karnataka) and Shekhar Choudhary (Chandigarh) completed the podium. In the team standings, Uttar Pradesh claimed the U20 men’s title with 22 points, ahead of Maharashtra (45) and Haryana (75).
In the women’s U20 6km event, Vaishnavi Rawal of Karnataka emerged victorious in 22:45.59, edging Sakshi Bhandari of Maharashtra and Versha of Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra, however, proved strongest overall, winning the women’s U20 team title with 21 points, ahead of Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.
The U18 boys’ 6km race was a thrilling three-way battle, with Dakshveer Singh of Madhya Pradesh narrowly winning in 19:29.98, just fractions ahead of Ajay Kumar (Haryana) and Raj Sinha (Bihar). In the U18 girls’ 4km race, Rajasthan dominated as Deepika and Khushboo finished first and second, with Roshini Kalura of Uttarakhand in third.
At the U16 level, Uttar Pradesh showcased exceptional depth in the boys’ 2km race as Vinay Kumar and Mohd Sameer Khan finished first and second. In the girls’ U16 race, Laxmi Obannavar of Karnataka claimed gold.
While individual stars like Harmanjot Singh and Nandani Gupta grabbed headlines, the broader narrative of the championships was the power of structured athlete development. RSPB’s sweep of both senior team titles underlined the value of institutional support, athlete welfare, and competitive depth.
Read Articles Without Ads On Your IndiaSportsHub App. Download Now And Stay Updated
As India prepares for international cross-country and long-distance campaigns later this year, the Ranchi championships served as a clear reminder that endurance running in the country is growing not just through individual brilliance, but through strong systems that consistently produce elite performers.
Results:
Men: 10km (individual): Harmanjot Singh (SSCB) 30:33, Punit (Uttar Pradesh) 30:50, Ankit (SSCB) 30:50.
Team: Railway Sports Promotion Board 38 points, Uttar Pradesh 40 points, Rajasthan 48 points.
Women: 10km (individual): Nandani Gupta (Railway) 35:42.28, Ujala (Uttar Pradesh) 36:50.73, Soniya (Uttarakhand) 37:06.04
Team: Railway Sports Promotion Board 16 points, Uttar Pradesh 30 points, Kerala 69 points
Men: U20: 8km (Individual): Mohit Choudhary (Telangana) 25:04.31, Sailesh Kushwaha (Karnataka) 25:24.20, Shekhar Choudhary (Chandigarh) 25:47.33.
Team: Uttar Pradesh 22 points, Maharashtra 45 points, Haryana 75 points.
Women: U20 (Individual): 6km: Vaishnavi Rawal (Karnataka) 22:45.59, Sakshi Bhandari (Maharashtra) 22:53.84, Versha (Uttar Pradesh) 22:58.04.Team: Maharashtra 21 points, Karnataka 76 points, Himachal Pradesh 83 points.
Boys: U18: 6km: Dakshveer Singh (Madhya Pradesh) 19:29.98, Ajay Kumar (Haryana) 19:30.46, Raj Sinha (Bihar) 19:31.30.
Girls: U18: 4km: Deepika (Rajasthan) 14:44.10, Khushboo (Rajasthan) 14:50.68, Roshini Kalura (Uttarakhand) 15:18.58.
Boys U16: 2km: Vinay Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 5:48.67, Mohd Sameer Khan (Uttar Pradesh) 5:49.09, Atharv Chigari (Maharashtra) 5:51.78
Girls: U16: 2km: Laxmi Obannavar (Karnataka) 6:57.02, Arti Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 7:15.05, A Thanishkaa Anbaras (Tamil Nadu) 7:19.16
EOM
