Tokyo World C’ship: Upbeat Gulveer ready to test himself against the best

For the Indian fan, long distance runner Gulveer Singh has generated plenty of excitement this season.

- Avishek Roy

The Army runner has emerged as one of the most consistent Indian athletes this year, setting national records and claiming twin titles at the Asian Championships. On the back of his impressive performances, Gulveer has qualified for both 5000m and 10,000m events for the World Championships in Tokyo.

He is one of the four Indian athletes to have secured automatic qualification (5,000m) by breaching the entry standard. He made the cut in the 5000m early in the season, clocking 12:59.77 (indoor) at the Boston University ‘Terrier DMR Challenge in February, becoming the first Indian to dip under 13 minutes in the event. The qualification mark set by World Athletics was 13:01.00.

Amonth later, he set another national record in the 10,000m, running 27:00.22 at the TEN 2025 meet in the USA — just short of the qualifying standard of 27:00.00. However, consistent performances through the season, coupled with his gold at the ‘Asian Championships, ensured his spot in Tokyo.