Background
Sawan Barwal was born in Himachal Pradesh and came into athletics through school-level distance running before specialising in the 5000m and longer events. He developed through India’s national distance-running circuit and emerged as one of the country’s leading young endurance runners. Barwal has represented India at Asian-level competitions and has competed successfully on the domestic circuit. His progression has included strong performances over 5000m and 10,000m as he moved into senior international competition.
Breakthrough and records
His breakthrough came at the 38th National Games in Dehradun in 2025, where he ran 28:49.93 in the 10,000m — winning the gold medal and breaking the Games record. He later made his marathon debut at the Rotterdam Marathon in 2026, clocking 2:11:58 to break Shivnath Singh’s more than four-decade-old Indian marathon record of 2:12:00, set in Jalandhar in 1978.
Current season
The 2026 season has been centred on the marathon, with a national-record 2:11:58 at the Rotterdam Marathon in April. He subsequently placed second in the 10,000m at the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar, clocking 30:08.08. The switch between road and track has formed an important part of his season. He is now preparing for the men’s marathon at the Asian Games in September.
In their own words
“There was no happiness — only disappointment. We had a target, and I felt we missed it. Even though the record was broken, it didn’t feel like an achievement at that moment.” — Sawan Barwal, speaking to NNIS Sports, April 2026.
