Barwal finished 20th with a time of 2:11:58, beating Singh’s previous record of 2:12:00 set in Jalandhar in 1978 by 0.42 seconds, according to Olympics.com. Singh’s record was the longest-standing in Indian athletics for nearly five decades.

The marathon marked Barwal’s second competitive race of the year, following a 60th-place finish at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in January. He completed the Rotterdam Marathon at a speed of 19.185 km/h.

Olympian Thonakal Gopi also ran in the race, finishing 23rd with a time of 2:13:16.

With the men’s marathon record now broken, PT Usha’s 1984 national record in the women’s 400m hurdles has become the longest-standing Indian athletics record. This record was equalled 39 years later in 2023 by Vithya Ramraj.

The Rotterdam Marathon was won by Ethiopia’s Guye Adola with a time of 2:03:54. His compatriot Tesfaye Deriba finished second in 2:04:15, while Belgium’s Bashir Abdi placed third with 2:04:19. Kenya’s Kenneth Kipkemoi secured fourth at 2:04:21 and Ethiopian Haymanot Alew was fifth in 2:05:19.

For the Netherlands, Filmon Tesfu came seventh with a time of 2:06:40.

First held in 1983, the Rotterdam Marathon is one of the most prestigious road races globally. The 2026 event, the 45th edition, held World Athletics Gold Label status.