“I Started Running The Marathon To Break The National Record”: Sawan Barwal After Historic Asian Games Silver

Sawan Barwal has turned 2026 into a landmark year for Indian distance running.

Just months after rewriting the national record books, the Indian Army runner produced another historic performance at the Asian Games in Japan, winning the silver medal in the men’s marathon in 2:11:37 and ending India’s 44-year wait for a medal in the event.

Barwal finished behind Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita, who won the gold in 2:10:49. But for India, the significance of Barwal’s run went far beyond the colour of the medal. His silver was India’s first men’s marathon medal at the Asian Games since Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan’s bronze at the 1982 Games in New Delhi.

For Barwal, it was another extraordinary chapter in a breakthrough year.

In April, on his marathon debut at the Rotterdam Marathon, the Himachal Pradesh runner clocked 2:11:58 to break Shivnath Singh’s 48-year-old national record of 2:12:00, which had stood since 1978.

Five months later, Barwal lowered the national benchmark again in Japan.

However, the 29-year-old revealed that breaking the record was not his primary target during the Asian Games race.

“I started running the marathon with one main target, to break the national record. At that time, the barrier for Indian athletes was 2:12, and I took it as a challenge to break that mark,” Barwal told myKhel after his historic performance.

“Today, I wasn’t thinking about the national record. I wanted to run as comfortably and slowly as possible and stay with the group.”

That approach helped Barwal remain composed as the race entered its decisive stages.

Barwal said his strategy was to remain with the leading runners deep into the race, even as the pace increased significantly.

“My target was to stay with the leading group in the last 3-4 kilometres. After around 33-35 kilometres, the pace became very fast, around 2:52-2:54 per kilometre. I tried to stay with the group and maintain that pace,” he said.

The race eventually became a battle of patience and endurance. With the Japanese runners moving ahead, Barwal focused on maintaining his rhythm rather than making an early move.

“After around 37 kilometres, I tried to maintain the same pace. The Japanese runners were ahead, and since the pace was very fast, I focused on maintaining my rhythm and staying with the group,” he added.

Barwal’s ability to remain composed through the closing stages proved crucial as he secured India’s first men’s marathon medal at the Asian Games since 1982.

The conditions in Aichi-Nagoya presented another challenge, but Barwal felt the humid weather could actually work in his favour.

“For the last 3-4 days, I had been warming up and training here, and I found the conditions quite humid. Even during a 5-6 km warm-up, I would start sweating a lot,” he said.

“But as an Indian athlete, I felt that it was an advantage for me.”

Coming from the colder conditions, Barwal said he was able to adapt to the conditions during his preparation.

“I also come from a place with colder weather, so I felt these conditions were manageable. However, I think the weather conditions were the same for everyone.”

The wet road added another layer of difficulty, but Barwal said his preparation had given him confidence that a medal was possible.

“Based on my practice and preparation, I was aiming to win a medal. The road was good, although it was a little slippery,” he said.

Barwal’s rapid rise in the marathon has been one of the major stories in Indian athletics this year.

Before 2026, Shivnath Singh’s national record had stood for 48 years. Barwal broke it on his marathon debut in Rotterdam with a 2:11:58 effort.

His Asian Games performance has now taken that journey another step forward.

Interestingly, Barwal said the national record was originally one of the main reasons he took up the marathon. But once the Asian Games race began, his focus shifted towards staying with the group and competing for a medal.

“When the pace increased towards the end, I felt that I could break the national record, but I didn’t specifically chase it. I just focused on maintaining my pace and covering the distance,” he said.

That strategy ultimately delivered both a medal and another national record.

For Barwal, however, the medal is about much more than a single race.

Behind the silver medal is more than a decade of training, sacrifice and preparation.

“For me, this medal is very important because I have been practising and training for the last 15-16 years,” Barwal said.

“If I didn’t win a medal, I would have felt that all those years of hard work had gone to waste. This is a very big achievement for me.”

Those words perhaps best explain the significance of the moment for the Indian runner.

Barwal has gone from breaking one of India’s longest-standing athletics records to becoming an Asian Games medallist within the same year. His silver in Japan has also restored India to the men’s marathon podium after a 44-year gap.

India’s previous men’s marathon medals at the Asian Games came through Chhota Singh and Surat Singh Mathur, who won gold and bronze respectively at the inaugural 1951 Asian Games in New Delhi, followed by Kukkappa Seetharan’s bronze in 1982.

Barwal’s silver in 2026 is India’s fourth men’s marathon medal at the Asian Games and the first won outside India.

Despite completing a historic Asian Games campaign, Barwal already has his eyes on his next challenge.

“My next plan is to take about a month off and then start preparing for the World Championships. I will try to achieve the qualification mark,” he said.

“I will take a break during January and February and then focus on my preparation.”

For now, though, Barwal can savour a performance that has changed the history of Indian marathon running.

He arrived in Japan as a national record-holder.

He leaves as an Asian Games silver medallist and the man who finally ended India’s 44-year wait for a marathon medal.