Amidst the success of Indian boxers and weightlifters at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, athletics also saw some impressive results. The most impressive performance was that of the country’s number one long-distance runner, Gulvir Singh, who created history by winning not just one but two medals. Gulvir also won a bronze medal in his final event of the Games, the 5000 meter race, becoming the first Indian athlete to do so. Indian Army Naib Subedar Gulvir had previously won a silver medal in the 10,000 meter race.
28-year-old Gulvir Singh, who holds all national records in long-distance races from 3000 meters to 25 kilometers, was the focus of much attention at this Commonwealth Games. However, even then, no one was entirely sure he would win a medal, especially in both events. This was due to the presence of countries like Kenya and Nigeria, which have been most successful in long-distance running. But Gulvir took his breath away only after raising the tricolor.
Gulveer won the medal in the last seconds
The 5000-meter race took place late in the evening on Saturday, August 1, the 10th day of the Glasgow Games. India’s Gulveer maintained a strong position from the start. He remained in the top five until the final lap. Then, as the final lap began, he slipped from fourth place to fifth for a brief moment. But at the crucial moment, he accelerated and quickly reached third place.
In the final 200 to 300 meters, Cornelius Kemboi of Kenya tried hard to overtake him, but Gulveer didn’t give up and ultimately won the bronze medal, finishing in 13:24:95. He defeated the Kenyan runner by 0.04 seconds. The gold medal in the event went to Matthew Kipsang of Kenya (13:23:61), and the silver went to Australia’s Kay Robinson (13:24:70).
The first Indian to reach this milestone
With this, Gulvir Singh became the first Indian athlete to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the 5000 meter race. Furthermore, he also became the first Indian to win two different athletics medals at the same Commonwealth Games. Four days prior to this successful race, he had also won a silver medal in the 10,000 meter race, making him the first Indian to win this medal. There too, Australia’s Robinson defeated him to win the gold.