Gulveer Singh sets new national record in 5000m with second-place finish at LA Track Fest
Los Angeles, May 24
Indian distance runner Gulveer Singh made history by setting a new national record in the men's 5000m outdoor event, winning silver with a time of 13:03.93 at the Sound Running Track Fest in Los Angeles, USA, according to the Athletics Federation of India.
Gulveer finished second with a time of 13:03.93 behind New Mexico's Habtom Samuel, who won in 12:57.22. Australia's Jackson Sharp came third with the timing of 13:05.22.
Notably, Gulveer's personal best of 12:59.77 still stands, having been achieved in an indoor competition, which he achieved at the Boston University Terrier DMR Challenge 2025 in the USA. Meanwhile, his time of 13:03.93 is a national record in outdoor competitions.
Notably, Gulveer improved his own national record by nearly eight seconds, lowering it from 13:11.82 set in Japan in September 2024.
Earlier this year, Gulveer, 27, clocked 59:42 to finish third at the New York City Half Marathon 2026, becoming the first Indian to complete a half-marathon in under one hour. The previous national record of 1:00:30 was set by steeplechase specialist Avinash Sable in 2020 at the Delhi Half Marathon.
Gulveer is the first Indian distance runner to hold multiple national records, ranging from the 3,000m track to the 25km road race. The Asian Games medallist also holds the men's 5,000m and 10,000m track records.
Gulveer also had a good run at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships, winning both the 5,000m and 10,000m track races. This year, he is confident of a podium finish at both the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July and the Asian Games in September.
— ANI
Reader Comments
So proud! But I wish our media gave this kind of achievement the same attention as cricket or Bollywood. This man is breaking barriers internationally and people barely know his name. And honestly, I hope he gets better nutrition and sports science support – our athletes often peak late because of lack of early infrastructure.
Gulveer Singh is a beast! 🔥 That indoor PB of 12:59 shows he has sub-13 potential outdoors too. I think with more races in Europe this summer, he could target the Asian record or even Commonwealth medal. Avinash Sable set the standard, now Gulveer is taking it to another level. Chalo, ab Commonwealth Games mein podium chahiye!
This gives me so much hope for Indian athletics! The fact that he's the first Indian to hold multiple national records from 3000m to 25km shows incredible versatility. I just wish our sports federations would stop with the bureaucratic hurdles and let athletes train how they want. Give them freedom and they'll fly. 🙏
Impressive performance! I've been following Gulveer since his Asian Games medal. The improvement from 13:11 to 13:03 in just months is remarkable. The African runners are still ahead, but he's closing the gap. If he can stay injury-free and race more frequently in international meets, he could be a dark horse in Paris. Kudos to the Indian athletics setup for producing such talent.
What an achievement! 🏃♂️ But I can't help feeling the government should do more for athletes like Gulveer. He's
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