Vithya Ramraj Biography: Early Life, Domestic Career, International Achievements, Social Media and Many More

Vithya Ramraj is an Indian track and field athlete who specialises in the 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles. Born on 20 September 1998 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, she has established herself as one of India’s prominent quarter-mile runners. Her career reached a major milestone at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, where she won multiple medals and broke P.T. Usha’s long-standing Indian record in the women’s 400m hurdles.

Vithya Ramraj Early Life:

Vithya Ramraj was born into a modest family in Coimbatore. Her father, Ramraj, worked as a truck driver, while her mother, Meena, supported the sporting ambitions of Vithya and her twin sister Nithya. Nithya is also an athlete and has competed in hurdles.

Vithya’s introduction to sport came during her school years. A physical education teacher suggested that the sisters should participate in sports, after which their mother enrolled them at a sports hostel in Erode. The hostel provided an important opportunity for the sisters because pursuing athletics independently would have placed a significant financial burden on their family.

 

Vithya initially participated in sprint events, including the 100m and 200m. She gradually moved towards the 400m and 400m hurdles, eventually making the latter her principal event.

Alongside her sporting career, Vithya pursued her education. She completed a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at Kongu Arts and Science College in Erode between 2016 and 2019. She received support through a sports scholarship and represented her institution in athletics competitions.

Her development at college helped her continue competing at a higher level while completing her academic responsibilities. She later joined the national training system and continued working towards establishing herself in Indian athletics.

Domestic Career:

Vithya’s domestic career developed gradually rather than through an immediate breakthrough. She competed in sprint events before increasingly focusing on the 400m and 400m hurdles.

She joined the national camp at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, in 2018. However, her progress was affected by several challenges, including the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and an appendicitis operation. She subsequently moved to Chennai and began training under coach Nehpal Singh Rathore.

The change became significant for her career. Rathore encouraged her to continue competing in both the 400m and 400m hurdles, allowing her to develop versatility across individual and relay events.

In domestic competition, Ramraj has won national-level titles and continued to improve her performances. In 2026, she produced a notable 51.96-second performance in the women’s 400m at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, according to World Athletics. Her principal breakthrough, however, came in the 400m hurdles.

International Career

Vithya Ramraj first attracted major international attention at the Asian Games held in Hangzhou in 2023. In the women’s 400m hurdles, she clocked 55.42 seconds, equalling the national record set by P.T. Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

She also contributed to India’s relay success at the Games, winning silver medals in the women’s 4x400m relay and mixed 4x400m relay. Her three-medal campaign established her as an important member of India’s athletics contingent.

Ramraj subsequently represented India at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as part of the women’s 4x400m relay team. The Indian quartet competed in the qualification round but did not progress to the final.

In 2025, she added another international medal by winning bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea.

 Asian Games 2026:

The biggest chapter of Vithya Ramraj’s career so far came at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.

She won a silver medal as part of India’s mixed 4x400m relay team and later produced a historic performance in the women’s 400m hurdles. On 28 September 2026, Ramraj clocked 54.75 seconds to win bronze and break P.T. Usha’s 55.42-second national record.

The 54.75-second performance became Ramraj’s new personal best and moved her beyond one of the longest-standing records in Indian athletics. World Athletics lists 54.75 seconds as her current 400m hurdles personal best.

Her 2026 campaign also included a gold-medal-winning performance in India’s women’s 4x400m relay team, giving her three medals at the Games.

According to World Athletics, Vithya Ramraj’s current personal bests include 54.75 seconds in the 400m hurdles and 51.96 seconds in the 400m. Her 4x400m relay personal best is 3:27.85, while India’s mixed 4x400m relay mark with her participation stands at 3:14.22 in the World Athletics record database.

Vithya Ramraj Social Media:

Vithya Ramraj maintains a presence on Instagram, where she shares updates related to her athletics career, competitions, training and achievements. Her reported Instagram handle is @vithya_ramraj.

For readers following Indian athletics, her social-media presence provides another way to keep track of her journey beyond competition results.

My Perspective:

Vithya Ramraj’s journey combines athletics, family support and perseverance. From growing up in Coimbatore and entering sport through a school-level opportunity to competing at the Olympic and Asian Games stages, her career has developed over several years.

Her twin sister Nithya has also been an important part of her journey, while her parents made significant sacrifices during the early stages of the sisters’ sporting careers. Vithya’s move from the national camp to independent training under Nehpal Singh Rathore was another important phase in her development.

The 2026 Asian Games marked a particularly significant moment. Ramraj not only collected three medals but also moved past P.T. Usha’s 400m hurdles national record with a 54.75-second run. Her performance added another important chapter to the history of Indian women’s athletics.

Frequently Asked Questions(On Vithya Ramraj):

Q-1- Who is Vithya Ramraj?
Answer: Vithya Ramraj is an Indian athlete who competes primarily in the 400m and 400m hurdles, while also representing India in relay events.

Q-2: When was Vithya Ramraj born?
Answer: She was born on 20 September 1998 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Q-3: What is Vithya Ramraj’s main event?
Answer: Her principal event is the women’s 400m hurdles, although she also competes in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

Q-4: What is Vithya Ramraj’s 400m hurdles personal best?
Answer: Her current personal best is 54.75 seconds, recorded at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.

Q-5: Which record did Vithya Ramraj break in 2026?
Answer: She broke P.T. Usha’s 55.42-second Indian record in the women’s 400m hurdles by running 54.75 seconds at the 2026 Asian Games.

Q-6: Has Vithya Ramraj competed at the Olympics?
Answer: Yes. She represented India in the women’s 4x400m relay at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Q-7: Who is Vithya Ramraj’s twin sister?
Answer: Her twin sister is Nithya Ramraj, who is also an athlete and competes in hurdles.

Q-8: Where is Vithya Ramraj from?
Answer: She is from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Q-9: What is Vithya Ramraj’s Instagram account?
Answer: Her reported Instagram handle is @vithya_ramraj.

Q-10: What did Vithya Ramraj achieve at the 2026 Asian Games?
Answer: She won three medals, including gold in the women’s 4x400m relay, silver in the mixed 4x400m relay and bronze in the 400m hurdles, while setting a new Indian record in the hurdles.