Drsandeepjhaliver at 06:28, 25 November 2025

2025-11-25T06:28:00Z

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{{Short description|Indian marathon runner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Kheta Ram
| image = KhetaRam-thumbnail.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Kheta Ram, Marathon athlete representing India in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1986|9|20}}
| birth_place = Khokhsar, [[Barmer, Rajasthan|Barmer]], [[Rajasthan]], India
| height =
| weight =
| country = {{IND}}
| sport = Athletics
| event = [[Marathon]]
| coach =
| highestranking =
| pb =
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Competition|[[South Asian Games]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2016 South Asian Games|2016 Guwahati]]|[[Athletics at the 2016 South Asian Games|Marathon]]}}
| updated =
}}

'''Kheta Ram''' aka '''Khetha Ram / KhetaRam''' (born 20 September 1986) is an Indian athlete and two time Asian Championships finalist<ref>{{cite news|title=Kheta Ram Profile: Men's Marathon|url=http://indianexpress.com/sports/rio-2016-olympics/kheta-ram-men-marathon-2923679/|accessdate=8 April 2017|work=The Indian Express|date=21 July 2016}}</ref> who represented [[India at the 2016 Summer Olympics]] in the [[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon|marathon event]]. He finished 26th in the men's marathon at the Rio Olympics.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rio Olympics: India's Thanackal Gopi, Kheta Ram clock personal best in marathon - Times of India|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/rio-2016-olympics/india-in-olympics-2016/athletics/Rio-Olympics-Indias-Thanackal-Gopi-Kheta-Ram-clock-personal-best-in-marathon/articleshow/53800667.cms|accessdate=8 April 2017|work=The Times of India|agency=PTI|date=21 August 2016|location=Rio De Janeiro}}</ref> He is also in the [[Indian Army]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trackfield.in/2016/07/03/indian-marathoners-bharat-at-rio-16/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407000431/http://trackfield.in/2016/07/03/indian-marathoners-bharat-at-rio-16|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-04-07|title=Indian Marathoners – Bharat at Rio '16 – Track and Field Sports News|work=trackfield.in|accessdate=2016-07-29}}</ref>

== Career ==
Ram enrolled for the Indian Army through the general quota to earn a steady income and is posted at Samba, Jammu. He has been representing India in various events, including the [[World Military Games]]. With an impressive array of races and achievements, recently, he and his coach [[Surendra Singh (athlete)|Surendra Singh]] decided that he should train and run a marathon distance rather than track and field events of intermediate distances as he has been doing.<ref name="sportskeeda.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportskeeda.com/athletics/kheta-ram-10-things-know-about-long-distance-runner|title=Kheta Ram: 10 things to know about India's long-distance runner heading to Rio Olympics 2016|date=2016-07-24|accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref> He has trained at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, in the thin air of Thangaraj Stadium in Wellington / Coonoor in the Nilgiri Hills so as to increase his heart and lung capacity, and most recently at the SAI complex in Bangalore, India. His VO2 Max is around 84 (ml of Oxygen used in 1 min per kg of bodyweight, comparable to [[Lance Armstrong]]), with a resting heart rate of around 45bpm.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/X93NpVqn5aO3VnC0tq6bzN/Cool-runnings-Indias-marathon-men.html|title=Cool Runnings: India's marathon men|last=|first=|date=4 March 2016|website=|publisher=|accessdate=}}</ref>

He represented [[India at the 2016 Summer Olympics]], qualifying with a marathon time of 02:17:23 in the 2016 Mumbai Marathon along with two other Indian marathoner men, [[Thonakal Gopi|Gopi T]] and Nitendra Singh Rawat.{{fact|date=September 2022}}

== Competition records ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Competition
!Venue
!Position
!Event
!Time
!Reference
|-
|2011
|Bangalore Interstate
|Bangalore, India
|1st
|10,000m
|29:20:35
|<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.all-athletics.com/node/354689|title=Profile of Ram KHETA {{!}} All-Athletics.com|website=www.all-athletics.com|accessdate=2016-08-01|archive-date=18 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818084003/http://www.all-athletics.com/node/354689|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|2011
|Sunfest World 10K
|Bangalore, India
|22nd Overall / 3rd Indian
|10 km Road
|30:34
|<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://m.deccanherald.com/articles.php?name=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.deccanherald.com%252Fcontent%252F166769%252Fcontent%252F214735%252Fhappy-birthday-jana-gana-mana.html|title=- Deccan Herald|website=m.deccanherald.com|accessdate=2016-08-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806163514/http://m.deccanherald.com/articles.php?name=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.deccanherald.com%252Fcontent%252F166769%252Fcontent%252F214735%252Fhappy-birthday-jana-gana-mana.html|archive-date=2016-08-06|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|2011
|New Delhi Half Marathon
|New Delhi, India
|22nd Overall / 2nd Indian
|Half marathon
|1:04:44
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|2012
|Vadodara 15M
|Vadodara, India
|1st
|15M Road
|47:11
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|2013
|Indian Grand Prix
|Patiala, India
|1st
|5,000m
|13:15:32
(1 lap short)
|<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/kheta-ram-wins-5000m-amid-controversy/article4567621.ece|title=Kheta Ram wins 5000m amid controversy|date=2013-04-01|newspaper=The Hindu|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref>
|-
|2013
|Indian Grand Prix
|Patiala India
|1st
|3,000m
|08:06:33
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|2013
|Asian Grand Prix, 1st Leg
|Bangkok, Thailand
|2nd
|5,000m
|14:55:12
|<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.singaporeathletics.org.sg/asian-grand-prix-2013|title=Asian Grand Prix 2013 {{!}} Singapore Athletics|website=www.singaporeathletics.org.sg|accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.singaporeathletics.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/05/Leg-1-AGP2013-BKK-Results.pdf|title=2013 Asian Grand Prix Results|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|accessdate=|archive-date=14 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814210758/http://www.singaporeathletics.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/05/Leg-1-AGP2013-BKK-Results.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|2013
|[[Asian Athletics Championships|Asian Athletic Championships]]
|Pune, India
|4th
|10,000m
|29:35:72
|
|-
|2014
|Federation Cup National Senior Athletics Championships
|Patiala, India
|1st
|5,000m
|13:49:17
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/kheta-ram-sets-meet-record-in-5000m-to-qualify-for-asian-games/|title=Kheta Ram sets meet record in 5000m to qualify for Asian Games|date=2014-08-16|accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportskeeda.com/athletics/national-athletics-kheta-ram-sets-new-meet-record|title=Kheta Ram shatters event record in 5,000m at National Athletics Championships|date=2014-08-16|accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/other-sports/story/kheta-ram-breaks-7-year-old-meet-record-qualifies-for-asian-games-204322-2014-08-16|title=Kheta Ram breaks 7-year-old meet record, qualifies for Asian Games|date=16 August 2014 |access-date=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.india.com/sports/kheta-ram-sets-new-meet-record-in-mens-5000m-to-qualify-for-asian-games-2014-120918/|title=Kheta Ram sets new meet record in men's 5000m to qualify for Asian Games 2014|date=2014-08-17|accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref>
|-
|2014
|National Open Athletics Championships
|New Delhi, India
|2nd
|10,000m
|29:32:75
|<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://indianathletics.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/afi-results-2014-AFI-Website.xls |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314051532/http://indianathletics.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/afi-results-2014-AFI-Website.xls |archive-date=2016-03-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://indianathletics.in/?p=1035|title=20th Asian Athletics Championships {{!}} Athletics Federation of India|website=indianathletics.in|accessdate=2016-08-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817013829/http://indianathletics.in/?p=1035|archive-date=2016-08-17|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|2014
|Asian Games
|Incheon, South Korea
|7th
|5,000m
|13:37:40
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|2015
|Vasai Virar Mayor's marathon
|Virar, Mumbai Metro area, India
|1st
|Marathon
|02:22:32
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/marathon-never-expected-to-win-on-debut-says-kheta-ram/16705195|title=Marathon: Never expected to win on debut, says Kheta Ram|date=23 November 2015 |accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mumbaimessenger.com/debutant-kheta-ram-wins-marathon-2015/|title=Debutant Kheta Ram wins Marathon 2015 - Mumbai Messenger - The Local Weekly Newspaper, Mumbai Local Newspaper, Local Newspaper of Mumbai|date=2015-11-27|language=en-US|accessdate=2016-08-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820150134/http://mumbaimessenger.com/debutant-kheta-ram-wins-marathon-2015/|archive-date=2016-08-20|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|2016
|Mumbai Marathon
|Mumbai, India
|3rd Indian / 15th Overall
|Marathon
|2:17:23
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/Gopi-Kheta-Ram-qualify-for-Olympics-Rawat-sets-course-record/articleshow/50614115.cms|title=Gopi, Kheta Ram qualify for Olympics; Rawat sets course record - Times of India|website=[[The Times of India]] |date=17 January 2016 |accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/mumbai-marathon-2016-gopi-kheta-ram-qualify-for-olympics-rawat-sets-course-record/article8116704.ece|title=Gopi, Kheta Ram qualify for Olympics; Rawat sets course record|date=2016-01-17|newspaper=The Hindu|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/more-than-40000-people-participate-in-the-mumbai-marathon-2016-2587904.html?photos=all|title=More than 40,000 people participate in the Mumbai Marathon 2016 - Firstpost|date=2016-01-17|language=en-US|accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.mathrubhumi.com/sports/athletics/rawat-sets-course-record-gopi-kheta-ram-qualify-for-rio-english-news-1.804736|title=Rawat sets course record; Gopi, Kheta Ram qualify for Rio|date=17 January 2016 |accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.asianage.com/other-sports/gopi-t-kheta-ram-seal-rio-berths-213|title=Gopi T, Kheta Ram seal Rio berths {{!}} The Asian Age|date=17 January 2016 |accessdate=2016-08-01}}</ref>
|-
|2016
|South Asian Games
|Guwahati, India
|3rd
|Marathon
|02:21:14
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://indianathletics.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/final-results-12th-south-asian-games-athletics-2016.pdf|title=2016 South Asian Games Results|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160223211520/http://indianathletics.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/final-results-12th-south-asian-games-athletics-2016.pdf|archivedate=2016-02-23}}</ref>
|-
|2016
|Summer Olympics
|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
|26th
|Marathon
|02:15:26
|2017
|Mumbai tata marathon
|Mumbai
|1st
|Marathon
|02:19:55
|2018
|IDBI HALF MARATHON
|DELHI
|1st
|Half marathon
|01:09:15
|}

== Personal life ==
Born in Khokhsar(East) in the [[Barmer district]] of [[Rajasthan]], Kheta Ram's humble origin is as a Naib Subedar of the Jat Regiment. He has one sister and four brothers. He used to run 4 km every day through the desert to a school that only had classes up to 8th grade. Many fast runners are from hilly areas which is thought to give them a red blood cell, lung efficiency and endurance advantage. In contrast, Kheta Ram's abilities are thought to come from the strengthening his calves and hamstrings may have received from running in the sand.

He joined the Army at Age 18 as a means of earning a steady income, and got recognized for his athletic abilities. The [[Indian Army]] excuses world class sports persons from active duty, allowing them to train as an athlete full-time. He would like to use his privileges as an athlete to solve the acute water issues of his village. His parents and wife are not educated and don't comprehend that he will represent the country in the Olympics.<ref name="sportskeeda.com"/> He is the only earning member of his family and sends his savings home to his parents, wife and two children. His biggest expense is his monthly purchase of shoes (priced at roughly Rs 10,000 per pair) to accommodate the number of miles that the athlete runs each month. As of mid 2016, he does not have any corporate sponsorship and has to purchase his own shoes.<ref name=":1" />

He and his fellow athletes spend 11 out of 12 months of the year away from home and without meeting their families, a sacrifice that they must make in order to compete on the world stage.<ref name=":1" />

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ram, Kheta}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian men marathon runners]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for India]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:1986 births]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games athletes for India]]
[[Category:South Asian Games bronze medalists for India]]
[[Category:South Asian Games medalists in athletics]]

Kheta Ram - Revision history

Drsandeepjhaliver at 06:28, 25 November 2025