Who is Sawan Barwal? Himachal man busts marathon misconception to win Asian Games silver

There was a misconception Sawan Barwal had heard before he started running marathons.“Running 2:12 or 2:13 was very difficult for Indians.”For someone who had spent most of his career on the track, it might have been an observation worth ignoring. Instead, Barwal took it as a challenge.On Saturday morning in Nagoya, in only his second competitive marathon, the 28-year-old went out and showed just how quickly that perception could change. Barwal won the Asian Games silver medal in 2:11:37, breaking the national record he had set in Rotterdam earlier this year. Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita won gold in 2:10:49, while China’s Peiyou Feng took bronze in 2:12:13.Asian Games Live: September 26 updates Sawan Barwal reacts after finishing 2nd in Asian Games men's marathon. (AP Photo)“This is for India. The medal was important. In the end, the Japanese seized the opportunity and raced away.