Asian Games 2026: 44 year drought ends! Sawan Barwal won silver in Asian Games Marathon

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Asian Games 2026: India has ended its 44-year-old wait for a marathon medal in the Asian Games 2026. Indian athlete Sawan Barwal performed brilliantly and won the silver medal in the men's marathon held in Aichi-Nagoya. Barwal completed the 42.195 kilometer race in 2 hours 11 minutes 37 seconds and stood second. While Japan's Ichitaka Yamashita won the gold medal with a time of 2 hours 10 minutes 49 seconds. Peiyu Feng of China completed the race in 2 hours 12 minutes 13 seconds and won the bronze medal.

Got medal in marathon after 44 years

India's long wait in the Asian Games marathon ended with Sawan Barwal's silver medal. India last won a marathon medal in the Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1982. Then Hosur Kukappa had won the bronze medal. After this, India had to wait for 44 years for a medal in this event. This medal of Barwal is also the first medal of an Indian man in the Asian Games marathon on foreign soil. He consistently performed brilliantly amidst tough competition in Nagoya and remained in the race for the medal till the end.

Barwal remained in the leading group since the beginning

The men's marathon race started at 4 am Indian time. A total of 19 runners including Sawan Barwal and Kartik Karkera participated in it. Barwal remained in the leading group since the beginning of the race. As the race progressed, he kept his position strong. By the halfway mark, Barwal had reached second place. After this he tried to take the lead in the race, but later some runners overtook him. Even at the 35 kilometer mark, Barwal was still in the race for second place. He made a brilliant comeback in the last few kilometers and secured the silver medal by leaving many runners behind.

Who is Sawan Barwal?

28 year old Sawan Barwal is a resident of Joginder Nagar in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. He is a Havildar in the Indian Army. Before entering the full marathon, Barwal used to participate in short track events. In April 2026, he made a great record in his first marathon competition. He completed the Rotterdam Marathon in 2 hours 11 minutes 58 seconds and broke the 48-year-old record of Shivnath Singh. Barwal also became the national champion of 5000 meters in 2024. Apart from this, he won gold medal in 5000 and 10000 meters in the 2025 National Games. Now he has achieved the biggest achievement of his career by winning silver in the Asian Games.

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