New Delhi. 26th September became a very special day for Indian Athletics in the Asian Games 2026. Indian long distance runner Sawan Barwal created history by winning the silver medal in the men's marathon in Nagoya. With his performance, India's 44-year long wait for a medal in the marathon event of the Asian Games ended. Sawan completed the race in 2 hours 11 minutes 37 seconds. This was his personal best performance and also became a national record.
In the final of the marathon, Ichitaka Yamashita of Japan won the gold medal with a time of 2 hours 10 minutes 49 seconds. Sawan was 48 seconds behind him. China's Peiyu Feng won the bronze medal with a timing of 2 hours 12 minutes 13 seconds. The way Sawan performed in the initial part of the race made it clear that he was making a strong claim for a medal.
Sawan maintained her pace since the beginning of the race. He was in second place at the 5 kilometer mark but by the 10 kilometer mark he took the lead. Sawan remained at the forefront even at the 15 kilometer and 20 kilometer stages. He completed the half marathon i.e. distance of 21.1 kilometers in 1 hour 5 minutes 54 seconds and even at that time he was leading in the race.
Sawan's lead continued till 25 kilometers and he recorded a time of 1 hour 18 minutes 19 seconds. After this, Yamashita of Japan increased the speed and left Savan behind by around 30 kilometers. However, the Indian runner did not give up and regained the lead at the 35 kilometer mark. The competition remained very tight in the last part of the race but after 40 kilometers Yamashita took a decisive lead. In the end Sawan completed the race with a silver medal.
The historical importance of this medal is even greater because India had earlier won the men's marathon medal in the Asian Games in the 1982 Delhi Asian Games. Before that, India had won gold and bronze medals in marathon in the 1951 Asian Games. Sawan's Nagoya silver is India's first medal in this event after 44 years. The special thing is that this is the first time since 1982 that India has won a medal in the marathon of the Asian Games held outside the country.
This achievement is also special for Sawan because he has already held the national record in his name. In April this year, in the Rotterdam Marathon, he left behind the 48-year-old national record of Shivnath Singh by clocking 2 hours 11 minutes 58 seconds. Shivnath Singh had made a record of 2 hours 12 minutes in 1978. Now in Nagoya, Sawan further improved her own national record.
India's second runner Karthik Karkera also appeared in this final. He finished 17th among 19 runners. Sawan Barwal's silver has become a big achievement for Indian athletics.