Gulveer Singh upgrades Asian Games bronze to silver, wins second medal in 10,000m

Four years after winning bronze in Hangzhou, Gulveer Singh has moved up a notch. The Indian long-distance runner upgraded his Asian Games medal haul to silver after finishing second in the men’s 10,000m final in Nagoya on Friday. Gulveer clocked 28:29.38 to win his second medal at the continental showpiece.

Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew won the gold medal in 28:27.51, while compatriot Albert Kipto finished third in 28:34.18. Gulveer wins bronze in 10,000m at 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Four years later he improved that result with silver in Nagoya, continuing his fine form on the international circuit and adding another major medal to his growing collection.

The medal adds to a successful year for Gulveer. He won silver in the men’s 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, giving him three medals at major multi-sport events this year.

Gulveer’s rise has been built on a remarkable journey from the village roads and farmland paths of Sirsa village in Aligarh district, Uttar Pradesh, to the highest level of Asian distance running. His progress has been steady ever since he joined the Grenadier Regiment of the Indian Army in 2018 and began to excel in athletics.

His first major international medal came at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, where he won bronze in the 5,000 m. Two years later, he reached the next level by winning gold medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 m at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea.

Gulveer has also established himself as one of India’s leading record holders in distance running. He holds Indian national records in 5000 m, 10,000 m, one mile and half marathon, reflecting the progress he has made over various distances.

In 2025, he became the first Indian to run a mile under four minutes, clocking 3:55.63. He also became the first Indian to break the 60-minute mark in a half-marathon, finishing in 59:42.

He then made history in the indoor 5000 m with a time of 12:59.77. This feat made him the first Asian athlete to run the distance under 13 minutes and set a new Asian record.

Gulveer also spent time training at the High Performance Center in Colorado Springs, where he continues to push the standards of Indian distance running. His training and performances have helped him establish himself as one of the premier long-distance runners in the country.

His silver in Nagoya is another major milestone on that journey. After improving on his bronze from Hangzhou, Gulveer now has two medals from the Asian Games along with a silver and a bronze medal from the 2026 Commonwealth Games, a breakthrough year that has further strengthened his position among India’s leading distance runners.

– The end