By Sundeep Misra, OCA Media
Nagoya, Japan, September 26, 2026: The streets of Nagoya, lined with fans early Saturday morning as a testament to the city’s love for marathons, bore witness to a tactical win as Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita surged to gold in the men’s marathon, clocking a brilliant 2:10:49.
Under an overcast sky that kept temperatures hovering around an accommodating 22 degrees and suppressed humidity, the weather proved ideal for endurance racing.
Yamashita made his decisive move inside the final five kilometres, breaking away from a resilient lead group that included India’s Sawan Barwal.
Swapping the lead through the 20-kilometer mark, Barwal fought valiantly on the course, which he later praised, saying the roads were perfect to claim silver in a national record-breaking time of 2:11:37. China’s Feng Peiyou secured bronze in 2:12:13.
Energy pulsed through the course as thousands of enthusiastic fans lined the tarmac. The electric atmosphere culminated inside the stadium, where an 8,000-strong weekend crowd created a wall of sound to welcome the exhausted runners across the finish line.
For Barwal, this was only his second marathon. Earlier this year in Rotterdam, he had broken Shivnath Singh’s long-standing 48-year-old Indian national record.
Reflecting on his latest milestone, Barwal said: “In Nagoya, it was important to finish on the podium. I am happy with a silver though I did try for the gold. And the National Record comes as a bonus.”
Reflecting on his triumph and the phenomenal backing of the local supporters, Yamashita shared his joy: “Hearing the constant cheers from the roadside gave me goosebumps and kept me pushing when my legs started to heavy up. Entering the stadium to that kind of thunderous noise is a feeling I will never forget.”
Adding context to his late-race breakaway, the Japanese champion noted: “The pace was strategic early on, but I knew I had to save something for the final stretch. When I made my move with five kilometres to go, I just trusted my training and fed off the home energy to bring the gold home for Japan.”
This victory marks Japan’s sixth Asian Games men's marathon gold, continuing a proud tradition of distance running.
