Sawan Barwal Shatters 48-Year-Old National Marathon Record on Debut

In a moment that will be etched in the annals of Indian athletics, Sawan Barwal, backed by the unwavering support of the Reliance Foundation, has magnificently shattered one of the longest-standing records in the country's sporting history on his very first marathon attempt.

Running with remarkable composure and courage, Sawan clocked an outstanding time of 2:11:58 at the prestigious NN Marathon Rotterdam, a World Athletics Gold Label event, on Sunday morning in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

With this stellar performance, he has eclipsed the legendary national record of 2:12:00, which had stood tall for nearly five decades, set by the great Shivnath Singh on 28th May 1978 in Jalandhar.

Barwal overcame challenging conditions in the closing stages of Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday to etch his name in the record books. The 28-year-old, on his marathon debut clocked an outstanding time of 2:11:58 to finish 20th in the world-class field on the streets of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

His Sunday performance was better than the more than four-decades-old national record of 2:12:00 set by the late Shivnath Singh in 1978 in Jalandhar, Punjab.

Sawan ran a steady pace throughout the gruelling marathon distance of 42.195km. But windy conditions in the last 5km of the race took their 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," the 28-year-old army runner said from Rotterdam.

"I was running at a comfortable pace until the 37 km mark. But the last 2km were more challenging as I had to just plod to cross the finish line," he added.

For Sawan, this debut marathon has become a defining milestone, a proud testament to years of dedication and disciplined preparation. He has also comfortably met the AFI qualification standard of 2:15:00, securing his place for the 2026 Asian Games.

This achievement is deeply aligned with Reliance Foundation's visionary Project 2:09, an ambitious high-performance endurance initiative designed to push Indian athletes beyond the 2:10 marathon barrier through cutting-edge, science-led training, strategic international exposure, and meticulous race planning.

The NN Rotterdam Marathon served as a vital stepping stone in this long-term journey, reinforcing India's growing ambition on the global marathon stage. Currently, the project nurtures talents like Sawan Barwal, Gopi Thonakal, and Man Singh, all of whom have already delivered impressive personal bests under its guidance.