Long-distance runner Gulveer Singh became the first Indian to clock a sub-60 time to finish an impressive third at the NYC Half Marathon 2026 in New York, USA, on Sunday.
Gulveer Singh timed 59:42 behind Olympians Adriaan Wildschutt (59:30) of South Africa and Zouhair Talbi (59:41) of the USA to eclipse the previous national record.
However, the 27-year-old Gulveer’s time will not be considered as a national record as the course is not record-eligible.
The New York race is run on a point-to-point course where the start and finish are about 11.6km apart, exceeding the 10.55 km limit set by World Athletics for record-eligible courses.
As a result, performances from the event cannot be recognised as official records, though the times remain valid for personal bests and rankings.
India’s previous record time in the half marathon was set by Avinash Sable at the 2020 Delhi Half Marathon, when he clocked 1:00:30s. But the time isn’t recognised by World Athletics.
The official national record is held by Sawan Barwal, who timed 1:02.46 at the 2024 Delhi Half Marathon.
The NYC Half Marathon 2026 is classified as a World Athletics Label Road Race on the international road running circuit.
This was Gulveer Singh’s third competitive outing of the year. The Indian athlete began his season by finishing 40th in the senior men’s race at the World Cross Country Championships in January.
Gulveer Singh’s last outing in February had also seen him secure a third spot in the 5000m short track at the Sound Running Invite in Winston-Salem, USA.
Gulveer Singh holds three national records in the 3000m, 5000m and 10000m. He is also the reigning Asian champion in the 5000m and 10000m.