Hari Chand

Hari Chand (1 April 1953 – 13 June 2022) was an Indian long-distance runner. He competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics and 1980 Summer Olympics, and held the national record in the 10,000 metres for 32 years.

Early life Hari Chand was born on 1 April 1953 in the village of Chorewala in the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab in a Rajput family. Coming from a poor background, he was unable to study beyond the eighth grade. Deprived of high school or university education, he initially showcased his running ability at local rural melas (fairs), consistently outdistancing competitors. To earn a livelihood and pursue athletics, he sought employment in the police force. In July 1972, he joined the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as a Havildar after officers relaxed standard recruitment requirements in recognition of his athletic potential.

Career After a year and a half in the CRPF, Chand made his major athletic debut at the 23rd All-India Police Games in Jaipur in February 1974. He set a new meet record in the 10,000 metres with a time of 30:41, breaking the previous mark of 31:06.2 set by Didar Singh of the BSF, and finished third in the 5,000 metres. In November 1974, he was named the best athlete at the CRPF Inter-Range Athletics meet and received an on-track promotion to Sub-Inspector for breaking the All-India Police Games records in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres. He continued his dominance at the 24th All-India Police Games in Jalandhar in early 1975, sweeping gold in the 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 metres events.

In the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, he ran barefoot and came eighth in the heats of the 10,000 metre run with a time of 28:48.7. This was a national record for an Indian athlete and was only beaten 32 years later by Surendra Singh.

In the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow he came 10th in the heats of the 10,000 meter run. He also came 22nd in the 1980 Olympic Men's Marathon.

International competitions