Parul Chaudhary finishes 13th in Women’s 5000m final at Commonwealth Games 2026

Indian long-distance runner Parul Chaudhary completed her campaign at the Commonwealth Games 2026 with a 13th-place finish in the women’s 5000m final. The 31-year-old from Uttar Pradesh clocked 15:08.56 seconds in a field of 20 athletes.

The timing came four seconds slower than her personal best. Chaudhary had entered the final after competing in the 3000m steeplechase earlier in the Games. Her effort in the 5000m marked the end of her participation in the athletics events at these championships.

Australia dominated the podium. Rose Davies claimed gold in 14:44.53, becoming the first woman in Commonwealth Games history to complete the 5000m and 10,000m double. Compatriot Jessica Hull took silver just 0.48 seconds behind in 14:45.01, while Scotland’s Megan Keith earned bronze in 14:49.10. Uganda’s Esther Chebet finished fourth in 14:50.70.

How the race unfolded

Davies and Hull controlled the closing stages after Megan Keith led for much of the final two laps. The two Australians pulled clear in a tense last-lap battle. Hull, the Olympic 1500m silver medallist, looked set to strike on the final bend, but Davies produced a strong kick over the last 100 metres to secure victory.

Parul Chaudhary started steadily and held ninth place at the 2000m mark. She dropped to 11th by 3000m and was already 13th with one kilometre remaining. Kenya’s Caroline Nyaga finished sixth in 14:54.00, while another Australian, Linden Hall, placed seventh.

Chaudhary’s time was four seconds outside her personal best of 15:04.26, set when she broke the national record in Nice last month. Even that mark would not have placed her in the top 10 on the night.

Background to the result

This was Parul Chaudhary’s second event in Glasgow after finishing fifth in the 3000m steeplechase. The Hangzhou Asian Games 5000m champion had arrived with strong form, but consecutive high-level races and a competitive field proved difficult.

India is still waiting for its first Commonwealth Games medal in the women’s 5000m. Chaudhary’s effort added to the country’s distance running presence even without a podium finish.

Davies celebrated her historic double by dropping to her knees after the finish. The Newcastle-born runner had already won the 10,000m earlier in the athletics programme and showed remarkable recovery to take the shorter race as well.

Looking ahead after Glasgow

Parul Chaudhary’s Commonwealth Games 2026 schedule is now complete. She leaves Glasgow with experience from two high-level finals. The four-second difference from her personal best and the 24-second gap to gold provide clear data points for future training.

For Indian fans, Chaudhary’s 13th-place finish closes a chapter that began with strong expectations after her national record earlier this year. The focus now shifts to the next phase of her season and major championships ahead.