Indian Army runner Sawan Barwal achieved a historic feat by winning the silver medal in the Asian Games marathon. With this spectacular performance, Barwal not only broke his own national record but also ended India’s 41-year wait for a marathon medal at the Asian Games.
The 26-year-old completed the grueling 42.195 km race in 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 37 seconds. Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita secured the gold medal with a time of 2:10:49, while China’s Peiyu Feng took the bronze with a time of 2:12:13.
This is India’s first marathon medal at the Asian Games since Hosur Kukappa Seetharam won bronze at the 1982 New Delhi Games. Sawan Barwal has become the fourth Indian athlete to win a medal in the Asian Games marathon.
Earlier this year in April, Sawan broke Shivnath Singh’s 48-year-old national record at the Rotterdam Marathon with a time of 2:11:58. This was only the second marathon race of his career, and he managed to break his own national record once again.
Speaking to the media after his success, Sawan, a resident of Joginder Nagar in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, said, “The way I trained, my main goal was to win a medal for the country. Securing a medal was my priority over breaking the national record. I am extremely happy to bring this medal home after so many years.”
The other Indian runner in the competition, Kartik Karkera, finished in 17th place with a time of 2:22:41.
