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Saturday’s race in Nagoya was run in damp conditions, with a light drizzle throughout. Of the 20 athletes on the start list, eleven had a faster personal best than Barwal. On paper, he wasn’t among the favourites. Marathon running, though, rewards guile and resilience over a start list.

“I knew the conditions and predicted a 2:10 or 2:11 race. Sawan only had to execute what we did in training given his fitness at the moment, and his self-belief makes him more lethal and efficient in tough conditions,” coach Scott Simmons told from Japan.

In the five months between his two marathons, Barwal moved to Colorado Springs to train under Simmons, the coach who has also worked with Gulveer Singh and Avinash Sable.

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The move changed who Barwal trains alongside. “Training with faster athletes has really pushed me a lot. All those training sessions with such athletes help you in a championship race,” Barwal told this paper. Simmons put a number on the gap: Barwal now trains regularly with Zouhair Talbi (2:03:45), Yemane Haileselassie (2:06:06) and Hillary Bor (2:08:40), each five to six minutes faster than him over the distance.

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In Colorado Springs, Barwal ran 190 kilometres a week and completed three marathon simulations before arriving in Aichi. “He was a middle distance runner before. After the switch, things have changed. There are longer sessions now for him, which he has adapted to pretty well,” Simmons said.

The plan for Saturday was simple in outline, harder in execution. “Our strategy was to approach the race just as he has approached our big marathon workouts. One has to understand that in the marathon, 30k is half way. The last 10k is where the medals are decided,” Simmons said.

That is roughly how it played out. By halfway, Barwal was in the leading pack, running shoulder to shoulder with eventual gold medallist Ichitaka Yamashita. “Our target was to stay with the group till the end. If we could maintain that position, the chances of winning the medal would increase,” Barwal said. After the 30km mark, the race narrowed, as Simmons had predicted. By the final 10km, only three runners remained in contention. “His fitness means that he can sustain the last 10km. Consistent training and his work with faster athletes culminated in the podium. A personal best in a championship race is excellent,” Simmons said.

Simmons believes Barwal is in shape to run 2:09 in future marathons. Barwal wants to go lower still. “When I switched to marathons, the target was to break the national record. I believe I can lower it further down to 2:08,” he said.

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Simmons sees more races ahead. “Sawan has got immense potential. It will be important for him to continue his marathon-specific development and to have opportunities for major marathons so he can test his ability. Ideally, he will target to qualify for the World Championships and Olympics to represent India there,” he said.

What time Barwal eventually runs is a question for later. For now, in two marathons, he has broken a national record twice and given India a medal it had waited 44 years for.