India’s Sawan Barwal won the silver medal in the men’s marathon at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya and ended the country’s 44-year wait for a podium finish in the event. The Indian national record-holder held his ground for the entire 42.195 km race and finished second to win in a watershed moment for Indian athletics.
Barwal’s silver is India’s first Asian Games marathon medal since the 1982 edition and the first medal won by an Indian man in the event on foreign soil. It also adds another chapter to India’s long history in the Asian Games marathon, where the country had previously won three medals in the previous editions.
Men’s marathon began at 4 a.m. IST with Barwal and fellow Indian runner Kartik Karkera in the field of 19. From the start, Barwal was among the leaders and kept his pace as the race progressed. The Indian runner did not make an early move and remained in the lead pack and soon moved into medal contention.
Barwal had moved to second place at the halfway point. As the race went on and the field got smaller, he continued to stay near the front. His consistency over the long distance was the key to the podium finish.
Barwal was still second at 35 km (1:49:29). With around seven kilometres to go, he continued chasing Japan's Ichitaka Yamashita, who had already started at the front of the race. Yamashita eventually opened up a gap, but Barwal kept his cool and held his silver medal position.
Barwal was only 26 seconds behind Yamashita at the end of the marathon and was only 26 seconds behind Yamashita by the time the marathon's final stages came to a close with only a few kilometres left, yet the Indian runner was still on track for silver and survived until the finish. The result capped an excellent performance in one of the most physically demanding running events in athletics.
Barwal’s achievement is particularly significant because of India’s historical record in the Asian Games marathon. Chhota Singh won gold at the first Asian Games in 1951 while Surat Singh Mathur won bronze in that same edition. The third marathon medal of India came from Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan, who won bronze at the 1982 Asian Games.
The latest silver from Barwal thus becomes India’s fourth medal in the history of the Asian Games marathon. But more importantly, it ends a 44-year medal drought in the discipline and gives Indian athletics another significant result at the 2026 continental event.
The performance also showcases Barwal’s capabilities as one of India’s most accomplished long-distance runners. In being the national record-setter, he came into the Asian Games with huge expectations and his silver medal was proof that he can translate his domestic record performance into a major international podium result.
For fellow Indian Kartik Karkera, the challenge was more serious. Karkera finished 17th after completing the marathon in 2:22:41. He didn’t qualify for the medal, but his participation did add another Indian as a marathoner to the men’s race.
Barwal’s silver is another great achievement for Indian athletics at the Asian Games 2026. On the back of 42.195 kilometres and second place, he ended India’s marathon wait and gained a unique medal for India’s Asian Games record.
