Vishal TK Creates History, Becomes First Indian Under 45 Seconds in 400m

Indian athletics witnessed another historic moment at the Federation Cup 2026 in Ranchi as Kerala’s Vishal TK shattered his own national record to become the first Indian ever to run below the 45-second barrier in the men’s 400m.

Vishal clocked a sensational 44.98s, rewriting Indian quarter-mile history and underlining the remarkable rise currently taking place in the country’s sprint programme.

The performance came barely a day after he had already hinted at something special by winning his semifinal in 45.27s — a timing that had broken the long-standing Federation Cup meet record of 45.47s set by Olympian Arokia Rajiv back in 2016.

But the final produced something even bigger.

Running with supreme control through the opening half before unleashing a powerful finish down the home straight, Vishal stopped the clock at 44.98s and crossed into territory no Indian male quarter-miler had reached before.

The run also reinforced the growing depth and confidence now visible in Indian sprinting. Over the last 48 hours alone, the Federation Cup has witnessed national records tumble in both the men’s 100m and 400m events, signalling what could be the beginning of a transformative era for Indian track athletics.

For Vishal personally, the achievement carries additional significance because questions had surrounded his form heading into the competition. The national record holder had raced sparingly earlier in the season and had only one previous 400m outing in 2026, clocking 45.44s at the Indian Athletics Series-3 in New Delhi.

That performance suggested promise.

Ranchi confirmed something much larger.

The sub-45 barrier has long been viewed as one of the defining milestones in elite men’s 400m running globally. While India has produced strong quarter-milers over the years, no athlete had previously managed to break through that psychological and performance ceiling.

Until now.

With Commonwealth Games qualification and major international competitions approaching, Vishal’s timing now places him firmly among the most exciting athletes in Indian athletics today.