Army’s Sawan Barwal has confirmed his place in the Indian team for the Japan Asian Games marathon race. The race for second berth is getting more exciting

With nearly five months to go for the Japan Asian Games in September, the race for two marathon spots in the Indian contingent is hotting up.

Army’s Sawan Barwal recently improved the long-standing national marathon record to 2:11:58 at Rotterdam Marathon. He is the first choice for the Indian team. But three other marathon runners—Kartik Karkare, Gopi T and Man Singh are fighting for second spot. Before the deadline of May there is a possibility for an outsider to spring a surprise.

There is a buzz in the air that one or two more Indian distance runners of the Army are keen to test themselves over the 42.195km.

Currently four leading male marathon runners have clocked a better time than the Japan Asian Games qualification time of 2:15:04.

The excitement to win a place in the national team for a marathon event has never been so intense in the past.

With Sawan Barwal breaking the nearly half-a-century old national marathon record of 2:12:00 set by late Shivnath Singh in Jalandhar, Punjab, focus has certainly shifted to the longest footrace at the Olympic Games.

“I’m happy to have broken the national marathon record,” says Sawan Barwal. “Now my focus will be Asian Games.”

EOM