NAGOYA, September 26, 2026: Sawan Barwal scripted history at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Saturday, winning the silver medal in the men’s marathon to end India’s 44-year wait for a podium finish in the event.
Barwal clocked a personal best and national record of 2:11:37, finishing 48 seconds behind Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita, who claimed gold in 2:10:49. China’s Peiyou Feng took bronze in 2:12:13.
The medal is India’s first Asian Games marathon medal since the 1982 Delhi Games, when Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan won bronze. It is also the country’s first men’s marathon medal at the Asian Games outside India.
Barwal stayed among the leaders through the race and was second at the halfway mark in 1:05:54. He remained firmly in medal contention into the closing stages before Yamashita pulled clear.
The 28-year-old Indian Army runner had already rewritten the national record earlier this year, breaking Shivnath Singh’s 48-year-old mark of 2:12:00 with a 2:11:58 at the Rotterdam Marathon in April. He bettered that mark by another 21 seconds in Nagoya.
Barwal’s silver is India’s fourth Asian Games marathon medal. Chhota Singh won gold and Surat Singh Mathur bronze at the inaugural 1951 Games, while Seetharan won bronze in 1982.
India’s other runner, Kartik Karkera, finished 17th among 19 competitors in 2:22:41.
Barwal’s breakthrough in Nagoya adds another significant chapter to a remarkable year for the marathoner, who has made a rapid transition from track running to the 42.195-kilometre event.
