Glasgow: India’s top male distance runner Gulveer Singh won a bronze medal in the Men’s 5000m, becoming the first Indian to win two medals in track and field competitions in a single edition of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Saturday.
Gulveer clocked 13:24.95 in the final to secure a bronze medal in the Men’s 5000m. He had earlier won a silver medal in the Men’s 10,000m with a timing of 27:49.78, achieving a historic first for the country in the Commonwealth Games 2026.
In the 5000m final on Saturday, Gulveer finished behind Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang of Kenya, who won gold in 13:23.61, and Australia’s Ky Robinson, who claimed the silver medal in 13:24.70.
Gulveer ran a tactical race, racing to the finish line with a brilliant kick in the final lap, moving from equal-fifth position to third and claiming the bronze medal in 13:24.95.
Gulveer, the 28-year-old Armyman from Atrauli in Uttar Pradesh, remained tucked in the eighth position at the end of the first lap (400m), covering the distance in 1:10.6. He picked up a bit of speed in the second 400m, completing it in 1:06.4, moving to the fourth position at the 1000m mark.
He fell back to seventh as he covered 2400m, nearing the halfway stage. He was fifth going into the final lap and then produced a nice sprint to eventually finish third in 13 minutes 24.95 seconds.
The 2022 Asian Games bronze medallist in 10,000m, Gulveer has won a double in the 2025 Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea.
Gulveer’s running journey began on village roads and farmland trails in his native village as he prepared for recruitment into the Indian Army. After joining The Grenadiers Regiment in 2018, he steadily rose through the ranks of Indian athletics to become the country’s premier distance runner.
Gulveer made his international breakthrough with a bronze medal in the 5000m at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships and followed it up with a bronze medal in the 10,000m at the 2022 Asian Games.
He established himself as Asia’s leading long-distance runner in 2025 by winning double gold medals in the 5000m and 10,000m at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea.
A prolific record-breaker, Gulveer holds the Indian national records in the 5000m, 10,000m, one mile, and half marathon. In 2025, he became the first Indian to run a sub-4-minute mile, clocking 3:55.63, and the first Indian to complete a half marathon in under 60 minutes with a time of 59:42.
He also made history by clocking 12:59.77 for 5000m indoors, becoming the first Asian athlete to break the 13-minute barrier and setting a new Asian record. Training regularly at the high-performance centre in Colorado Springs, Gulveer has emerged as a trailblazer for Indian distance running. His achievements have elevated India’s presence on the global distance-running stage and established him as one of the country’s strongest medal prospects at major international championships.
(IANS)
