Asian Games 2026: Sawan Barwal wins historic silver men’s marathon in national record time

Sawan Barwal ran a stunning marathon race to hand India an unexpected silver in the Asian Games , shattering his own national record in the process on Saturday (September 26, 2026).

The 28-year-old Army man from Himachal Pradesh clocked 2 hours, 11 minutes and 37 seconds to complete the distance of 42.195km and finish behind Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita (2:10:49). China’s Peiyou Feng was third with 2:12:13.

His silver is the first medal for India in the Asian Games after the bronze won by Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan in the 1982 edition in New Delhi.

Keep track: Asian Games 2026 LIVE | Sawan Barwal wins silver in men’s marathon final

Barwal is also the fourth Indian to have ever won a medal in the Asian Games. Chhota Singh and Surat Singh Mathur had won a gold and bronze respectively in the inaugural Asian Games in 1951 in New Delhi.