Himachal athlete scripts history at NN Marathon Rotterdam, surpasses Shivnath Singh’s long-standing 1978 mark
Punjab Newsline,Sports :
In a remarkable achievement for Indian athletics, Himachal Pradesh’s long-distance runner Sawan Barwal created history by breaking a 48-year-old national marathon record at the NN Marathon Rotterdam on Sunday. The record, which had stood untouched since 1978, was previously held by Shivnath Singh.
Barwal clocked an impressive time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 58 seconds, finishing 20th in the elite race and shaving a couple of seconds off the previous record of 2:12:00 set in Jalandhar. His achievement marks the end of one of the longest-standing records in Indian athletics, highlighting a new era for long-distance running in the country.
Hailing from Radda Bhanker village in Jogindernagar of Mandi district, Barwal’s journey has been one of determination and consistent performance. Just last year, he clinched gold medals in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events at the National Games in Uttarakhand, setting new meet records in both categories.
Barwal’s father, Kuldeep Barwal, expressed immense pride in his son’s accomplishment. A driver by profession in Delhi and a former athlete himself, he shared that seeing his son achieve what he could not makes the success even more meaningful.
The runner’s talent was first spotted by coach Gopal Thakur during a grassroots sports event in 2010. Under his guidance, Barwal quickly rose through the ranks, winning multiple medals at the national level in his early years.
Now serving in the Indian Army, Barwal continues to push boundaries. Notably, he is among the rare athletes to hold national-level excellence across events ranging from 5,000m to the full marathon, underlining his versatility and endurance.