Indian middle and long-distance running has been experiencing a quiet revolution over the past two years, and at the heart of it is Gulveer Singh.
The reigning Asian champion once again redefined the limits for Indian distance running, shattering his own 3000m national record at the Gyulai István Memorial Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold (Category A) event in Budapest, Hungary.
On 12 August 2025, Gulveer clocked a breathtaking 7:34.49, eclipsing his previous national record of 7:38.26 set earlier this year in Boston. The performance placed him fifth in a world-class field, elevated him to fourth on the Asian all-time list, and confirmed his status as the 2025 Asian leader over the distance. For the 25-year-old, it was also his first-ever outdoor track race in Europe a debut that could hardly have been more spectacular.
From Boston to Budapest A Season of Relentless Progress
Gulveer’s 2025 season has been defined by a remarkable series of national record-breaking runs.
•14 February 2025 – Boston University Track & Tennis Center: He clocked 7:38.26 for the indoor 3000m, setting a new Indian record and making a statement that his off-season training had taken him to a new level.
•21 February 2025 – Boston University again: In the 5000m indoor, he delivered 12:59.77, breaking the Indian national record and the Asian record for the indoor distance. This also placed him among the top 25 all-time globally for the indoor event.
•29 March 2025 – San Juan Capistrano, California: Gulveer transitioned to the outdoor season with a 27:00.22 in the 10,000m, another national record and a performance that put him 90th on the all-time world list.
By the time he arrived in Budapest, Gulveer had already rewritten the Indian record books in three separate distances in a single season. The only question was how much faster could he go?
The Gyulai István Memorial is among Europe’s most prestigious summer meets, attracting a high-quality field of middle and long-distance runners. For Gulveer, it was the perfect testing ground to see how his winter gains would translate against the best in the world. The men’s 3000m was stacked with seasoned international athletes, including Diamond League regulars and former world medalists. Unfazed by the occasion, Gulveer positioned himself smartly in the middle of the pack during the opening laps, letting the early pace settle. The field went out hard, with the first kilometer covered in well under 2:30, and by the midway point, the race was already shaping into a record-threatening tempo.
In the final kilometer, Gulveer began to surge. While the top three pulled marginally away, his controlled yet aggressive finish carried him across the line in 7:34.49, slicing nearly four seconds off his own national record. It was a performance that not only solidified his standing domestically but also elevated his profile internationally.
The significance of 7:34.49 in the Indian context cannot be overstated. The 3000m, while not a standard championship distance, is often used as a benchmark for assessing an athlete’s combination of speed and endurance. Historically, Indian runners have excelled in 1500m and 5000m events at the continental level, but performances in the sub-7:40 range have been rare. By breaking his own record for the second time in 2025, Gulveer has now brought Indian middle-distance running into a zone where it can genuinely compete with Asia’s best and challenge globally in certain races.
Fourth on the Asian All-Time List
Gulveer’s 7:34.49 ranks him fourth all-time in Asia, behind some of the continent’s most celebrated middle-distance runners. This places him in elite company, surpassing times set by several legends of the sport.
The Asian all-time list for the 3000m has traditionally been dominated by athletes from Bahrain, Qatar, and Japan, who have trained extensively in high-performance environments in Africa and Europe. Gulveer’s inclusion near the top signals a new chapter for Indian athletics one where its athletes can match the best in Asia without necessarily being based abroad year-round.
Gulveer’s Budapest performance is part of a wider narrative for his 2025 season—a campaign where he has obliterated long-standing national records at a pace rarely seen in Indian athletics.
•3000m Indoor – 7:38.26 (Boston, 14 Feb 2025)
•5000m Indoor – 12:59.77 (Boston, 21 Feb 2025) – Also Asian Record
•10,000m Outdoor – 27:00.22 (San Juan Capistrano, 29 Mar 2025)
•3000m Outdoor – 7:34.49 (Budapest, 12 Aug 2025)
Each of these times has come in high-quality international races, underscoring his ability to deliver peak performances against world-class opposition. While Gulveer has raced internationally before, including at the Asian Championships and on the American circuit, Budapest marked his first outdoor track appearance in Europe. The experience proved invaluable not only for the quality of competition but also for adapting to European racing conditions, which often involve cooler weather, late-evening races, and pacemaker-led formats.
That he managed to set a lifetime best and a national record in his very first European meet speaks volumes about his adaptability and competitive temperament. Gulveer Singh is no stranger to breaking barriers. From his rise through the Indian domestic circuit to winning Asian gold, his trajectory has been built on a foundation of steady improvement and fearless racing. His ability to repeatedly break his own records in a single season is reminiscent of athletes who are entering their peak years—a stage where every race can deliver a new milestone.
Indian athletics has seen record-breakers before, but Gulveer’s consistency across multiple distances 3000m, 5000m, and 10,000m sets him apart. Few athletes manage to be competitive across such a range while still producing world-class times. While the 3000m is not a standard Olympic or World Championships event, Gulveer’s improvement here has direct implications for his performances in the 5000m and 10,000m, the two longest track distances in major championships.
Using the common performance equivalence models, his 7:34.49 suggests the potential for:
•Sub-12:55 in the 5000m
•26:40–26:50 range in the 10,000m
Such times would bring him closer to qualifying for the finals at the World Championships and potentially making the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics a realistic medal-contending target. India’s global track presence has historically been more prominent in field events, particularly javelin throw, long jump, and triple jump, along with sporadic middle-distance breakthroughs. Gulveer’s rise in the 3000m–10,000m range addresses one of the gaps in Indian athletics: the lack of competitive depth in long-distance track events on the world stage.
By regularly competing and excelling against top-tier athletes in international meets, Gulveer is not only pushing his own boundaries but also setting new benchmarks for upcoming Indian runners. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) was quick to celebrate his performance on social media, highlighting the significance of his time on the Asian all-time list. With the European circuit still in full swing, there may be more opportunities for Gulveer to test himself before the end of the season, possibly over 5000m. A race in the low-12:50s could be within reach given his current form.
Gulveer Singh: From Village Tracks to Asia’s Long-Distance Throne
In the near term, Gulveer’s focus will shift towards the 2025 World Championships and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. With his steady progression, medal contention at the Asian level is a given, but the goal now will be to consistently challenge at the global level. The 7:34.49 run in Budapest is more than just a personal best for Gulveer Singh it is a statement to the athletics world. It says that Indian distance runners can train, travel, and compete with the very best, and they can do so while rewriting continental history.
From Boston to Budapest, Gulveer’s 2025 has been a masterclass in progression. Four national records in less than seven months, an Asian record indoors, and now a top-four all-time Asian ranking outdoors this is the profile of an athlete who is not content with incremental improvement. He is aiming for greatness, and every race is bringing him a step closer.
If his current trajectory continues, Gulveer Singh could well become the most successful Indian male distance runner in history, and Budapest will be remembered as one of the defining moments of that journey.
