Sawan Barwal Creates History with Asian Games Marathon Silver, First for India outside Indian Soil

Sawan Barwal scripted a remarkable chapter in Indian athletics on Saturday, winning silver in the men’s marathon at the Asian Games 2026 and ending the country’s 44-year wait for a medal in the event. The 28-year-old Indian Army runner clocked 2:11:37, shattering his own national record in the 42.195km race.

Barwal’s silver is particularly historic as it marks India’s first Asian Games marathon medal outside the country. India’s previous medal in the event came at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, when Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan won bronze. India’s only other marathon medals came at the inaugural 1951 Games, where Chhota Singh won gold and Surat Singh Mathur claimed bronze.

The performance caps a sensational breakthrough year for Barwal. In April, during his first-ever competitive marathon, he clocked 2:11:58 at the Rotterdam Marathon to break Shivnath Singh’s 48-year-old national record of 2:12:00, set in 1978. Barwal has now lowered that mark again, producing a 21-second improvement in his second marathon.

Barwal, who hails from Joginder Nagar in Himachal Pradesh, initially competed in track events before switching to the marathon following advice from his coaches after testing showed strong endurance potential. He also won gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2025 National Games.

Barwal’s top performance has created another piece of history as this is the first medal for India in Marathon outside Indian soil.