Chhota Singh

Chhota Singh of Patiala was one of the top Indian marathon runners of the 1930s and 1940s. He won his first major competition with a personal best at Lahore in 1932 and remained undefeated until at least the 1950s. Singh was also selected for the Indian 1948 athletics delegation to the London Olympics, but was forced to retire from the marathon after spraining his ankle 17km into the race. He continued competing into the 1950s, breaking his own national records twice more, first in 1953 and lastly in 1956, finishing the All-India Police Athletic Meet marathon in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 17.4 seconds. He was also the winner of the marathon at the 1951 Asian Games, held in New Delhi.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-27:17.4 (1956).