Asian Games 2026: Sawan Barwal Wins Silver in Men's Marathon

Indian marathon runner Sawan Barwal created history at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on September 26, winning silver in the men's marathon. The medal ended India's 44-year wait for an Asian Games podium finish in this event, with the last one coming at the 1982 Delhi Games.

Sawan Barwal's Scripts History Ends India's 44-Year Wait for a Marathon Medal

Barwal clocked a personal best of 2:11:37, finishing just 48 seconds behind gold medallist Ichitaka Yamashita of Japan, who completed the race in 2:10:49. China's Peiyou Feng took bronze with a timing of 2:12:13. Barwal's medal is also notable for being India's first marathon medal at the Asian Games won outside home soil, since the country's earlier medals came at Games hosted in India.

Sawan Barwal's Performance in the Asian Games 2026 Marathon

The race began early at 4 a.m. IST and featured 19 runners, including Barwal and compatriot Kartik Karkera. Barwal ran a smart, controlled race from the start, sitting in second place at the halfway stage with a time of 1:05:54. He held that position through the 35-kilometre mark and stayed strong even as Yamashita pulled ahead in the closing kilometres. Barwal did not let the gap widen further and comfortably secured silver by the finish line. Karkera, the other Indian in the field, finished 17th out of 19 runners with a time of 2:22:41.

Sawan Barwal's National Marathon Record

This is not Barwal's first big achievement this year. In April 2026, he broke Shivnath Singh's 48-year-old national marathon record at the Rotterdam Marathon in the Netherlands. His Asian Games silver now turns that record-breaking form into a major medal on the continental stage.

India has Four Medals in Asian Games History 

India now has four marathon medals in Asian Games history. The country's earlier medals came at the very first edition in 1951, where Chhota Singh won gold and Surat Singh Mathur took bronze, and in 1982, when Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan won bronze at the Delhi Games.