India’s Sawan Barwal ended the country’s 44-year long wait for a medal in men’s marathon after he clinched silver at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Saturday. The 28-year-old Indian clocked a timing of 2:11:37, finishing behind Japan’s Ishitaka Yamashita, who won gold with a timing of 2:10:49. China’s Peiyou Feng took the bronze medal with a time of 2:12:13.
India had last won a medal in the men’s marathon at the Asian Games in 1982, when Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan won bronze in New Delhi. Before Barwal, India’s other men’s marathon medallists at the were Chota Singh, who won gold at the inaugural 1951 Games, and Surat Singh Mathur, who won bronze at the same edition.
Barwal’s medal took India’s tally to 24 medals at the ongoing Aich-Nagoa Asian Games, including two gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze medals.
Born on 18 February, 1998, is from Himachal Pradesh and is an Indian Army athlete.
Barwal did not begin his career as a marathon specialist. He initially competed as a track and distance runner. He took part in athletics competitions during his school years and later developed through district and state-level competitions. He joined the Indian Army in 2019, after which athletics became his professional pursuit.
His early career included events such as the 5,000m and 10,000m. He also competed over shorter and longer distances, including the 1,500m and 25km road race. In 2025, he set records in the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m events.
Barwal made his competitive marathon debut at the NN Marathon Rotterdam in the Netherlands on April 12, 2026. He finished the race with a time of 2:11:58, breaking the Indian men’s marathon national record of 2:12:00 set by Shivnath Singh in 1978. Barwal’s performance in Rotterdam therefore ended a record that had stood for 48 years.
That performance also secured Barwal’s qualification for the 2026 Asian Games. The Athletics Federation of India subsequently included him in its 77-member athletics squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Games, with Barwal and Kartik Karkera selected for the men’s marathon.
Barwal entered the Asian Games marathon having competed in only one marathon previously. In Nagoya, he improved his own national record by 21 seconds, recording 2:11:37. His silver-medal finish also made him only the fourth Indian to win a men’s marathon medal at the Asian Games.
