3 min readJun 14, 2026 10:00 AM IST
Ace Indian middle distance runner Parul Chaudhary improved the national record in the 5000m event on Saturday. She clocked a time of 15:04.26s at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze level meet in France, improving her own record by a massive 6 seconds, finishing second to Seniya Bereka of Ethiopia (15:03.85s).
While she missed out on the Commonwealth Games qualifying mark of 14:56.60, it is a good start for the 31-year-old in her first 5,000m meet of the year.
This was only her second competition of the year after she started her season at the Shanghai Diamond League and finished seventh in the 3000m steeplechase in a world-class field. She also secured qualification for the Commonwealth Games in the steeplechase during this event, clocking 9:12.84s to comfortably beat the qualifying standard of 9:27.41s.
Parul, who usually runs in both 3000m SC and 5000m, is focusing on 3000m SC as her primary event for the year. She is expected to do 3000m SC at CWG and both 5000m and 3000m SC at the Asian Games.
Athletics in the Commonwealth Games is a world-class field with athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Caribbean participating. It was the 2022 CWG that pushed men’s national record holder Avinash Sable to the international level after he broke the Kenyan dominance in the event with a silver medal.
🚨 Parul Chaudhary shatters the Women’s 5000m National Record!
India’s Parul Chaudhary finished 2nd in the Women’s 5000m at Meeting Nikaïa, clocking a sensational 15:04.26 to break the Indian National Record.
✅ New Indian National Record
✅ 3rd-fastest time in Asia this… pic.twitter.com/E3D4KVwXV7— nnis Sports (@nnis_sports) June 13, 2026
“I have never competed in any Commonwealth Games. So, this is going to be my debut at the Games, and I am very excited for it. Commonwealth Games is a very competitive field with the presence of African athletes,” Parul had told The Indian Express in an interview last month.
“Yes, CWG is going to be my priority where I’ll focus on steeplechase, and I would try to do both 5000m and steeplechase at the Asian Games,” she added further.
This is the second time that Parul has improved the 5000m after doing it for the first time in 2023. She had clocked 5:10.35 in May 2023 to break the previous national record of 5:15.89 held by Preeja Sreedharan.
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