Gulveer Singh Sets New 3000m National Record in Budapest

New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) India's standout athlete, Gulveer Singh, enhanced his own national record in the men's 3000m, a non-Olympic category, while securing a commendable fifth position at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial - Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix held in Budapest. He recorded a time of 7 minutes 34.49 seconds on Tuesday night, surpassing his former national record of 7:38.26 set during the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational in February earlier this year. At 27, Singh was making his debut in a European track race. This prestigious meet in Budapest is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold level events, marking it as the pinnacle of the class. The race saw Kipsang Mathew Kipchumba from Kenya clinching the top spot with a time of 7:33.23. Following him were Eduardo Herrera of Mexico, Oscar Chelimo of Uganda, and Valentin Soca of Uruguay, finishing second, third, and fourth respectively with times of 7:33.58, 7:33.93, and 7:34.28. In addition to the 3000m, Singh holds national records in the men's 5000m (12:59.77) and 10,000m (27:00.22), which is a monumental feat for any Indian athlete. Furthermore, Singh is the reigning Asian champion for both the 5000m and 10,000m events, after his gold medal victories in the continental championships this May. He has already earned his spot in the men's 5000m race at the upcoming World Athletics Championships, scheduled to take place in Tokyo from September 13 to 21.