Historic Run! Gulveer Singh Becomes First Indian to Win Commonwealth Games 10,000m Medal

Gulveer Singh has etched his name in the history of Indian athletics. He won a silver medal in the men's 10,000m race at the Commonwealth Games 2026 that are being held in Glasgow. 

Gulveer Singh won the race on 28 July 2026 and it was quite a show. He became the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in this event. 

This win is quite huge for Indian long distance running as in this field India has struggled to compete with other strong countries like Kenya and Uganda. Here is everything you need to know about his historic race, life story, his records and why this medal means so much for Indian sports. 

Gulveer Singh’s Race At A Glance

Here is a quick overview of his race which also made him reach the national record: 

Who is Gulveer Singh? Know His Biography 

Source: Notebook

Gulveer Singh was born on June 1, 1998 in Sirsa village which is near Atrauli in Aligarh district, Uttar Pradesh. He has a humble background and comes from a farming family and has a strong background of military service. He wanted to serve in the Indian Army and have a stable career. 

Gulveer was not involved in athletics or had formal training. He became a part of the Indian Army in 2018 through sports quota and joined the Grenadiers Regiment. As of now he is a Naib Subedar which means a Junior Commissioned Officer. 

His real talent came to light by accident. While Gulveer was serving in Arunachal Pradesh he ran a total distance of 10 kilometers in under 31 minutes during an inter-unit cross country event. He ran the distance without any formal training and that is how he caught the attention of coach Yunus Khan from the Army Sports Institute in Pune. 

By the year 2021, he was involved in structured training. Later on he moved to Colorado Springs in the USA to train under coach Scott Simmons in high altitude conditions. This is where his career changed entirely and he became India’s top professional in long distance format. 

How Did Gulveer Singh Create History?

The 10,000m final was held in Scotstoun Stadium and it was raining heavily during the race on 28 July 2026. The race consisted of 25 laps and the wet track was quite tough for every runner. 

Gulveer kept his calm and used smart strategies. At the 3000m mark, he clocked 8:39.2. 

When the race reached around the halfway point, he dropped back to even fifth and ninth positions at times. 

As the race reached the final 1000m, he took pace steadily. By the time the bell rang for the final lap, he moved to 3rd position and made a final powerful sprint in the end. He finished the race with a time of 27:49.78. 

Australia’s Ky Robinson came first with 27:48.93 which was just 0.85 seconds ahead of Gulveer. The bronze medal was taken by David Mullarkey from Isle of Man who clocked a time of 27:50.28. 

Career Timeline of Gulveer Singh

Here is a brief timeline of Gulveer Singh’s career: 

Why is this Silver Medal Historic?

Before Gulveer, no Indian athlete ever won a medal in the men's 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games. The distance running events have been majorly dominated by African nations and that is why an Indian reaching the silver medal is a very big achievement.