New Delhi, Sept. 26 -- Sawan Barwal ended India's 44-year wait for a men's marathon medal at the Asian Games on Saturday, winning silver in Nagoya in a national-record time of 2:11:37. The 28-year-old Army runner finished behind Japan's Ichitaka Yamashita, who won gold in 2:10:49, while China's Peiyou Feng took bronze in 2:12:13.
Barwal's silver was India's first medal in the men's marathon since Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan won bronze at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi. India's only other marathon medals came at the inaugural Asian Games in 1951, also in New Delhi, where Chota Singh won gold and Surat Singh Matur took bronze.
Born in a village near the Baijnath Shiva temple in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra Valley, Barwal grew up in high-altitu...