There are no starting blocks in long-distance running events like 5000m and 10000m. False starts, like in the faster sprints, isn’t a primary worry for a runner, but there are other fears that take its place.
Indian long distance runner Gulveer Singh admits that it was only recently that he overcame the fear of the competitors around him.
“Pehle thoda sochta tha baaki competitors ke baare me. (Earlier, I used to think about other competitors). But now I don’t even look at the start list,” Gulveer told The Indian Express in an interaction facilitated by SAI Media. Gulveer was one of India’s best athletes at the Asian Games 2026 with three medals – silver in 1500m, silver in 10000m and bronze in 5000m.
The transformation is visible in the results. He has five major medals this year and will be eyeing the World Athletics Championships next year. “Gulveer’s mindset has changed over the years. Now, he knows that he is operating at the same level as compared to others. So, that really helps when the athlete knows that they belong at the top level,” his coach Scott Simmons had told this paper earlier.
The other thing that has helped Gulveer is competing regularly with the top athletes who were better than him. “The result you see today has come from the fact that I regularly compete with athletes who are better than me. It takes away the fear of competing against better athletes and also keeps pushing me whenever I am against these guys,” Gulveer said.
Late bloomer shines
In the world of long-distance running, Gulveer is a late bloomer who started participating in competitions at the age of 24 after joining the Army and has never competed at the junior level. However, his rapid strides to the top echelons of India’s running depict that he was always meant to be in the space he occupies. “When I started running, I had no idea that these strides would take me this far. I ran only to get selected in the army,” Gulveer recalled.
Gulveer Singh bagged three medals at Asian Games 2026. (AP)
There is a positive to Gulveer picking up running late – he already possessed a calm mind, and the maturity that the sport needed. “When I started competing, I was clear in my head about what I had to do. I think that really helped me at the international level,” he said.
Learning from past
Gulveer’s participation at the World Athletics Championships in 2025 is something that helped open his eyes to the vast difference between the competition at the Asian level, and the behemoths who competed at the highest echelons of long-distance running. “When I competed at the 2025 Worlds, it was my first taste of global competition. It was very different from competing at the Asian Games or Asian Championships,” said Gulveer.
Before competing at the World Championships in Tokyo, Gulveer’s only major appearances were at the Asian Games and the Asian Championships. At the Tokyo World Championships, Gulveer was well placed to qualify for the final in the men’s 5000m heat but faded away at the end, losing his qualification spot.
“I think that was a big learning for me. I learnt there how to hold your position in a race. Long-distance running is all about the last few meters and if you fade away in that, all the hard work is gone,” said Gulveer.
That he learned from his mistake at the World Championships was visible in all of the races at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. “After the Worlds, I specifically worked on my last kick and staying patient. One needs to know when that last kick has to come, if the athlete doesn’t time it right, the athlete will fade away,” Gulveer explained.
Now, it will be some rest for Gulveer before he travels back to Colorado Springs to train under Scott Simmons for the next season. “I’ll be back to training soon. Once, the celebrations and felicitations are over here in India,” said Gulveer. “I have my eyes set on the World Championships next season and as one can see, the progression is on the right path for me at the moment.”