Indian runner Parul Chaudhary smashed the national record at the Sound Running meet in Los Angeles as she became the first athlete from the country to clock a sub-nine minute time in the women’s 3000m event.

The 27-year-old Chaudhary covered the distance in 8:57.19 to finish third on Saturday night. With her latest effort, Chaudhary, who specialises in steeplechase, broke Suriya Loganathan’s record of 9:04.5s, set six years ago in New Delhi.