New Delhi: Indian long-distance runner Gulveer Singh etched his name into the record books by becoming the first Indian ever to win a medal in the men’s 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games, producing a sensational run to clinch silver at the 2026 edition in Glasgow on Tuesday night.
Clocking 27:49.78, Gulveer delivered a tactically astute race before unleashing a blistering final-lap sprint to secure second place behind Australia’s Ky Robinson. Isle of Man’s David Mullarkey claimed bronze as traditional distance-running giants Kenya and Uganda were surprisingly kept off the podium, according to ESPN.
The silver medal ended India’s long wait for success in one of the Commonwealth Games’ most demanding track events. Before Gulveer’s breakthrough, no Indian had ever finished on the podium in the men’s 10,000m in Commonwealth Games history.
Competing under rainy conditions in Glasgow, Gulveer remained patient for much of the race, staying with the leading pack without expending unnecessary energy. As the bell rang for the final lap, the Indian was running in third position before producing a devastating finishing burst to overtake one rival and seal a historic silver medal.
The result marked another landmark achievement for the national record holder, who has emerged as India’s leading long-distance runner in recent years. Gulveer’s medal was India’s second silver of the day after weightlifter Harjinder Kaur produced a career-best performance in the women’s 69kg category.
Harjinder lifted a personal-best 227kg (101kg in snatch and 126kg in clean and jerk) to finish second behind Canada’s Charlotte Simoneau, who claimed gold with a total of 235kg. The Indian also rewrote the Commonwealth Games snatch record twice during the competition before securing her second consecutive Commonwealth Games medal, having won bronze at Birmingham 2022.
With Gulveer’s historic podium finish, India’s medal tally at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games climbed to 12 medals — two gold, seven silver and three bronze.
India’s medallists so far are Mirabai Chanu (gold, weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (gold, women’s shot put F57), Rishikanta Singh (silver, weightlifting), Muthupandi Raja (silver, weightlifting), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, weightlifting), Sarvesh Kushare (silver, men’s high jump), Gulveer Singh (silver, men’s 10,000m), Harjinder Kaur (silver, weightlifting), Valluri Ajaya Babu (silver, weightlifting), Bindyarani Devi (bronze, weightlifting), Shilpa K. Shyla (bronze, women’s shot put F57) and Jhandu Kumar (bronze, para powerlifting).
