Gulveer Singh entered Indian athletics history by winning silver in the men’s 10,000m at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, becoming the country’s first medallist in the event at the Games. Running through heavy rain at Scotstoun Stadium, Gulveer remained close to the leading pack before producing a powerful finish over the final lap. He crossed the line in 27 minutes and 49.78 seconds, finishing just 0.85 seconds behind Australia’s Ky Robinson, who claimed gold in 27:48.93.
Event Context
David Mullarkey of the Isle of Man took bronze in 27:50.28 as less than two seconds separated the first three runners. The Commonwealth Games silver is the latest milestone in Gulveer’s rapid transformation from an Army recruit running through the fields of Uttar Pradesh into India’s leading long-distance athlete.
Born on June 1, 1998, Gulveer comes from Sirsa village in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district. His running journey began on village roads and farmland trails, but international athletics was not initially the objective. Gulveer started running while preparing for recruitment into the Indian Army. He joined The Grenadiers Regiment in 2018 and later rose to the rank of Naib Subedar.
The Army provided structure to his training and allowed him to compete seriously. He gradually progressed through domestic athletics before establishing himself as India’s premier runner in the 5000m and 10,000m events. His first major international medal arrived at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, where he won bronze in the men’s 5000m. He followed that performance with another bronze in the 10,000m at the postponed 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Gulveer made an even bigger statement at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. He won gold in both the 5000m and 10,000m, completing a memorable distance double and strengthening his position as one of Asia’s finest endurance runners. Beyond the medals, Gulveer has spent the past few years breaking barriers once considered beyond the reach of Indian distance runners.
Gulveer has also demonstrated remarkable versatility away from his two primary track events. He became the first Indian to run a mile in under four minutes, recording 3:55.63 at the Music City Track Carnival in the United States. He also became the first Indian to complete a half-marathon in under one hour, clocking 59:42.
Player Focus
He holds the Indian record in the men’s 10,000m with a time of 27:00.22. His outdoor 5000m best of 13:03.93 is also a national record, while he has produced record-breaking performances in the 3000m as well. One of his biggest achievements came in February 2025, when he clocked 12:59.77 in the indoor 5000m in Boston. The performance made him the first Indian to complete the distance in under 13 minutes and established a new Asian record.
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Much of his recent development has taken place in the United States, where he trains at the high-performance centre in Colorado Springs. The altitude training and regular exposure to stronger international fields have helped him move closer to the world’s leading distance runners.
His preparation has been supported through assistance for foreign training, international competitions, equipment and other high-performance requirements. During the Commonwealth Games cycle, he received ₹30.40 lakh under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme and ₹25.33 lakh through the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition. The Glasgow silver, therefore, was not an isolated breakthrough. It represented the culmination of years of structured training, international exposure and relentless record-breaking.
From running through Aligarh’s farmland while chasing an Army career to standing on a Commonwealth Games podium, Gulveer has become the standard-bearer of Indian long-distance running.
