Nagoya: Five months ago, Sawan Barwal achieved something Indian marathon runners had been chasing for 48 years.
On a cold April morning in Rotterdam, the Army runner from Himachal Pradesh broke Shivnath Singh’s long-standing national marathon record. He clocked 2:11:58, becoming the first Indian to run under 2 hours and 12 minutes in the marathon.
The performance finally erased a record that had stood since 1978.
On Saturday in Nagoya, Barwal went even faster. This time, he also secured an Asian Games medal.
Barwal won silver in the men’s marathon at the 2026 Asian Games, clocking 2:11:37 to improve his own national record by 21 seconds.
More importantly, he ended India’s 44-year wait for a medal in the Asian Games marathon.
For a runner competing in only his second marathon, the achievement marks a remarkable rise.
Speaking to NNIS Sports after the race, Barwal said the medal was important because he had won it for India. However, he was already looking ahead to his next challenge.
“I will try even harder next time.”
From a 48-Year-Old Record to a New National Mark
When Barwal arrived in Rotterdam in April, he faced a different kind of challenge.
Shivnath Singh’s national record of 2:12:00 had survived for 48 years. It had become a major benchmark in Indian athletics, resisting generations of marathon runners.
Barwal, however, had never competed in a marathon before.
Despite that, he finished in 2:11:58 and broke the record.
The closing kilometres made the achievement even more dramatic. Barwal struggled badly near the finish and briefly blacked out.
He fell but got back up and completed the race. His time of 2:11:58 was enough to finally replace Singh at the top of the Indian record list.
Five months later, Barwal has lowered that mark once again.
2:11:37.
This time, he also won an Asian Games silver medal.
A Marathon Career That Has Barely Begun
Barwal’s rapid rise is particularly remarkable because the marathon is a relatively new chapter in his career.
The Mandi-born Army athlete previously competed in shorter events, including the 5,000m, 10,000m and half marathon.
He then made the move to the marathon, covering the full distance of 42.195km.
His first marathon produced a national record. Now, his second has brought an Asian Games silver and another national record.
In Nagoya, Barwal stayed with the leading group deep into the race. He was second at the halfway point.
After the 35km mark, the contest had effectively narrowed to three runners.
Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita eventually made the decisive move to win gold in 2:10:49. China’s Peiyou Feng took bronze in 2:12:13.
Barwal held on to finish second and secure silver.
Barwal Ends India’s 44-Year Wait for an Asian Games Marathon Medal
With his silver medal, Barwal became only the fourth Indian to win a men’s marathon medal at the Asian Games.
India’s previous medals in the event had all come in New Delhi.
At the inaugural Asian Games in 1951, Chhota Singh won gold, while Surat Singh Mathur claimed bronze.
Later, in 1982, Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan won another bronze medal.
Barwal has now added his name to that list. He is also the first Indian men’s marathon medallist at the Asian Games outside India.
His silver in Nagoya marks a significant moment for Indian distance running.
The Significance of Shivnath Singh’s Record
There is an important connection between Barwal’s two national-record performances.
When he broke Singh’s record in April, the achievement went beyond the numbers on the clock.
Shivnath Singh had run 2:12:00 in 1978. His outstanding career also included an 11th-place finish at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
For almost half a century, Indian marathon runners had tried to break that mark.
Barwal finally did it in Rotterdam.
Former Olympian Nitendra Singh Rawat said after the race that breaking such a long-standing record could encourage other Indian marathoners to target the new benchmark.
He also stressed the need for Indian distance runners to compete more often on fast courses and against stronger international fields.
According to Rawat, these opportunities are important if Indian runners are to move towards the 2:09 range.
Now, Barwal has given them another national record to chase.
“I Will Try Even Harder Next Time”
For Barwal, the Asian Games silver is not the finish line.
Speaking to NNIS Sports after the race, he said the medal was important because he had won it for India. However, he also made it clear that he wants to achieve much more for the country.
“I will try even harder next time.”
After just two marathons, Barwal leaves Nagoya with an Asian Games silver and another national record.
His 2:11:37 performance has made him one of India’s leading distance runners and ended a 44-year wait for an Asian Games marathon medal.
