Indian long-distance running star Gulveer Singh continued his extraordinary rise on the international circuit with another elite performance at the LA Track Fest in Los Angeles, clocking 13:03.93 in the men’s 5000m to finish second in a stacked World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet.
The timing was the second-fastest run of Gulveer’s career and his quickest ever outdoors over the distance.
In a race packed with international talent, Gulveer was beaten only by Eritrea’s Habtom Samuel, who produced a world-leading 12:57.23 and broke the collegiate record in the process. Gulveer crossed the line 6.7 seconds later but comfortably ahead of several accomplished professional runners in what turned into another statement performance from the Indian star.
What makes the run even more remarkable is that Gulveer is no longer merely breaking Indian records — he is now consistently competing at a genuinely high global standard.
The Army athlete from Uttar Pradesh has transformed Indian distance running over the last two seasons. Earlier this year, he became the first Indian ever to break the 13-minute barrier in the 5000m, clocking a stunning 12:59.77 indoors.
He also holds national records in the 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m, including a superb 27:00.22 over 10,000m that made him one of the fastest Asians in history.
The 27-year-old has rapidly evolved from a strong Asian-level athlete into one capable of holding his own in elite international fields. Gulveer is already a double Asian champion, having won both the 5000m and 10,000m titles at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships, while also owning an Asian Games bronze medal in the 10,000m.
Perhaps the biggest sign of his development is consistency. Fast times are no longer isolated performances. Whether on the roads, indoors, or on the track outdoors, Gulveer now looks increasingly comfortable running at a pace that once seemed completely out of reach for Indian distance runners.