Marathon: How Sawan Barwal trained for Asian Games silver

Sawan Barwal on Saturday ended India’s 44-year wait for a medal in the men’s marathon at the Asian Games by claiming silver in a national record 2:11:37 in Nagoya.

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 Delhi.

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It was also Barwal’s second national record in as many marathons. On his debut in Rotterdam in April, he ran 2:11:58 to break Shivnath Singh’s 48-year-old national record of 2:12:00. In Nagoya, he took another 21 seconds off his own mark. An exhausted Sawan Barwal reacts after winning the silver medal at the Asian Games. (AP photo)

HOW SAWAN BARWAL TRAINED FOR THE ASIAN GAMES?

Preparation for his second marathon began almost immediately after this breakthrough.

After Rotterdam, Barwal underwent altitude training at Ooty before being sent to Colorado Springs for further training. The federation sent him to Colorado Springs where, with the support of the Reliance Foundation, he spent two months training ahead of the Asian Games.

“I was in Ooty after April. The federation sent me to Colorado Springs for training. I was in Colorado Springs for two months before the Asian Games. I was supported by the Reliance Foundation,” Barwal said.

The internship in Colorado Springs gave Barwal a chance to train with elite coaches and helped build his confidence ahead of his second competitive marathon.

“It was good for me. I trained with elite coaches and that gave me the confidence to do well in the Asian Games,” he said. Sawan Barwal runs in Nagoya during the men’s marathon. (Photo by Reuters)

The training was also designed according to the difficulty of the marathon, especially the last five or six kilometers. Barwal’s seniors warned him that the race really starts after 35km and his preparation involved long runs of 40km or 42km on alternate weeks.

He ran 40-41 km approximately 10-20 seconds slower than his intended marathon pace, preparing his body to continue moving after fatigue had already set in. His typical week included three hard workouts, speed work, a long run and tempo training, while easier days might still include 20-25km runs.

His weekly mileage was around 200km, with a long run at the center of his program.

“I heard from seniors that marathon is not easy. You realize it after 35 km,” Barwal told IndiaToday.in ahead of the Asian Games. “After 35km, it’s more mentally demanding. You have to stay on track and figure out how to finish.”

This advice proved crucial in Nagoya.

BARWAL WINS SILVER IN ASIAN GAMES

Barwal spent much of the race in front, leading from around 10km to 35km before Yamashita moved on. The Japanese runner eventually pulled away, but Barwal stayed in the fight and held on for silver.

He covered the final 7.145 km in 22 minutes and 13 seconds.

Feng, who arrived in Nagoya this season as the Asian leader in 2:05:58, was unable to replicate that form and eventually settled for bronze.

Meanwhile, Barwal was not thinking about another national record.

“I didn’t run today with the aim of breaking the national record. It could have been as slow as possible but I wanted to get a medal,” he said.

“When I started running at a good speed, I thought I could break the national record. But I still wasn’t thinking about breaking the national record. I just wanted to keep my pace.”

The record came anyway.

– The end