Long-distance runner Sawan Barwal scripted history by breaking the 48-year-old marathon national record, the longest-standing mark in Indian athletics, at the NN Marathon Rotterdam, Netherlands. Photo credits: Athletics Federation of India via PTI Photo
Long-distance runner Sawan Barwal on Sunday (April 12, 2026) scripted history by breaking the 48-year-old marathon national record, the longest standing mark in Indian athletics, at the NN Marathon Rotterdam.
Barwal clocked 2 hours 11 minutes and 58 seconds in a world class field to finish 20th in the elite marathon race and erase the previous national record of 2:12:00 which stood since 1978 in Shivnath Singh’s name.
The other Indian in the fray, Gopi Thonakal finished 23rd as he ran the 42.195km distance with a time of 2:13:16.
Barwal’s achievement was all the more praiseworthy as the Rotterdam event was his first marathon race. He had not run any official marathon race before Sunday.
This was his second competition of the season after taking part in the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in the U.S. in January.
Hailing from a village in Joginder Nagar in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, the 28-year-old Barwal has trained hard for many years, establishing himself as a reputed long-distance runner.
His feat on Sunday was the culmination of that hard work, as he literally emerged from the hills of Himachal Pradesh to the flat roads of Rotterdam.
Barwal ran at a steady pace in the gruelling race but windy conditions in the last 5km took a toll on the Indian runner.
“It was pretty cold and windy. I made a mistake of pouring water on my head at the water station,” Barwal said.
“I was running at a comfortable pace until the 37km mark. But the last 2km was more challenging as I had to just plod to cross the finish line.
“I was mentally and physically prepared to clock 2:10:00. But tough conditions robbed me of further improving my national record.” The Army runner fell down after crossing the finish line due to exhaustion. He was taken for medical assistance.
“I’ve recovered and am feeling better,” he added.
Barwal, an Armyman, was at the 27th spot at around the halfway mark (21km) with a time of 1:04:43 while Gopi was 33rd with 1:04:44. At the 30km mark, he was below the 2:10:00 marathon pace.
At the 40km mark, Barwal’s time was 2:03:39. In the closing stages of the gruelling race, he slowed down to cross the finish line at 2:11:58.
“It was a good learning experience in Rotterdam,” he said.
Barwal’s past race record on the World Athletics website does not mention any marathon though he has run many half marathons, and 5000m and 10000m races.
He first broke onto the national scene when he won a 10000m silver at the 2022 Federation Cup National Championships. The same year, he won a 5000m bronze at the National Games in Gujarat.
His first international medal came in 2023 when he won a bronze in the Asian Half Marathon Championships in Dubai.
Barwal won his first national title at the Federation Cup in 2024 with a 5000m gold. But 2025 was the most productive year for Barwal as he won the 5000m and 10000m gold at the National Games in Uttarakhand, 10000m gold at the Federation Cup and a 5000m bronze in the World Athletics Bronze Level Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar.
Trained by Gopal Thakur, Barwal has also been a regular participant in the Delhi Half Marathon and World 25K Kolkata Run. He won gold among Indian elite runners in the Delhi Half Marathon in 2024.
Barwal was interested in sports since his school days, and played everything from badminton to athletics. However, after winning a medal in a school event, he decided to become an athlete. He subsequently won medals in zonal and district-level competitions. He joined the Indian army in 2019.
Published – April 13, 2026 01:00 am IST
