Aged just 18, Ingebrigsten set the world alight last year as he won double European gold over 1500m and 5000m. Racing over 5000m this coming weekend, competition to the Norwegian in London will be stiff as he faces some of the quickest in the world this year including Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia who is third quickest in the world this year.

Six Brits will tow the line including Scottish record holder Andrew Butchart, close to his personal best already this year in Rome and will be aiming to go one better in front of a home crowd. There is also exciting names such as Ben Connor, Alex Yee, Marc Scott and Nick Goolab on the entry list.

In such an exciting race it will be good to see some of the best British runners performing in front of a home crowd.

Photo: Keith McClure

The women’s race also stacked

Just like the male equivalent, the women’s 5000m has rose in stock thanks to the confirmation of Sifan Hassan in the race. Hassan is the 3000m and 5000m European record holder as well as the new world record holder for the mile after a blistering race in Monaco last Friday.

Having enjoyed such a stellar year already and clearly in the form of her life, Hassan could be in shape to break her own European record, while if conditions are favourable in London the 26-year-old could also eye Tirunesh Dibaba’s world record of 14:11.15 from 2008.

The 5000m race is also packed with British talent such as Rosie Clarke, Eilish McColgan, Charlotte Arter, Melissa Courtney and Laura Weightman, who narrowly missed the British Mile record in the very same race as Hassan broke the world record.

The Müller Anniversary Games takes place just ten weeks before the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

The two-day Diamond League event has seen history made on numerous occasions in recent years, with some memorable performances from British names such as Sir Mo Farah, Laura Muir and Dina Asher-Smith, while para athletics stars Kare Adenegan and Sophie Hahn both broke world records at the 2018 edition of the event.

Tickets for the Müller Anniversary Games are on sale at www.theticketfactory.com/british-athletics

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Jakob Ingebrigtsen showed his ‘majority’ to pounce at the perfect time and take the win down the home straight at the International PSD Bank Meeting Dusseldorf on Wednesday evening (February 20).

After breaking the world indoor mile record in Birmingham on Saturday, it was no surprise to see Ethiopia’s teenage star Samuel Tefera at the front behind the pacers in the early laps around the 200m track in the German city.

Once the final pacemaker stepped off the track, Tefera was at the forefront, but European 1500m and 5000m champion Ingebrigtsen was quick to close the gap to ensure the final leg of the IAAF World Indoor Tour had an exciting finish.

As the two teenage stars came around the final bend in Dusseldorf, Ingebrigtsen moved out to the second lane, and powered home with strength beyond his years, to take to win in 3:36.02, with Tefera clocking 3:36.34.

Ingebrigtsen’s victory set a new indoor under-20 world record and broke the Norwegian indoor best.

Even though Tefera ran 3:31.04 last week, the time isn’t an under-20 record because his 20th birthday is later this year.

The middle brother of the Ingebrigtsen star trio, Filip, was third across the finish line in 3:38.62.

Another Norwegian record and the meeting record are only the beginning for @JakobIng

Plus the 18-year-old just got a new tattoo that's pretty accurate #WorldIndoorTour pic.twitter.com/UDeYcdEot3

— IAAF (@iaaforg) February 20, 2019

Earlier this month, Ingebrigtsen, who won an unprecedented third successive under-20 title at the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg, ran a then world indoor lead 1500m time of 3:36.21 in Baerum.

That also smashed his previous European indoor under-20 record of 3:40.96 and older brother Henrik’s four year-old national indoor record of 3:39.70.

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Great Britain got off to a solid start at the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg on Sunday (December 9) with four team medals in the four age-group races.

The British under-20 women showed the way in the first race by defending their team gold from 12 months ago on an energy-sapping muddy course, becoming increasingly torn up in the rainy conditions.

Under-20 women

Amelia Quirk led Britain to a defence of their team title as Italy’s Nadia Battocletti took the individual win.

Battocletti stepped up from fifth last year as she sprinted away from her close challengers in the last 400m to win by a second. Delia Sclabas gained silver for Switzerland, while Turkey’s Inci Kalkan was third.

Quirk recovered well from a fall at around halfway to regain contact with the lead group of six, but she was dropped with around a kilometre to go.

The 18-year-old, who helped Britain to gold two years ago, came home fifth, 11 seconds adrift of the winner. With Khahisa Mhlanga seventh and Grace Brock 11th, GB took team gold in this category for the 13th time in 14 years on 23 points – five points ahead of Netherlands.

Behind the scoring team, trials winner Cari Hughes was 13th, Anna MacFadyen was 20th and Tiffany Penfold was 36th.

Photo: Andy Peat

“It went off quite fast but I was feeling quite comfortable,” said Quirk afterwards. “The Irish girl went down right in front of me and I fell on top of her and then someone fell on top of me. I gave it my best shot and it was okay.

“I fell in Liverpool [British trials] but nearer the start, but I know the quicker I get up the less places I am going to lose. The race was moving so quickly at that point, so I knew it was probably changing as I had fallen and when I got back up there were different people around me. It was a shame because I felt if I hadn’t have fallen I could have got a medal, but team gold is amazing.”

Under-20 men

Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen was the expected overall winner, leading his country to a narrow victory over Britain in the team stakes.

The European senior 1500m and 5000m champion bided his time as Spaniard Ouassim Oumaiz took much of the limelight, trying to stretch out the field on occasions and instigating a high-five with the favourite mid-race.

After it came down to three with a mile to go of the 6.3km race, Ingebrigtsen, who probably could have challenged for the senior title, eased clear to a nine-second win. Serbia’s Elzan Bibic took bronze, another two seconds behind.

Photo: Tilburg 2018

Britain’s Jake Heyward, the European junior 1500m champion, had been expected to challenge for a medal after struggling with illness in last year’s race but failed to stay with the pace and crossed the line fourth.

Norway, with Simen Halle fifth and Hakon Stavik 22nd, did just enough to take team gold on 28 points. GB were just two points behind as Isaac Akers was 12th and Matt Willis 14th.

The British sextet were completed by Jack Meijer in 28th, Tom Mortimer in 32nd and Rory Leonard in 71st, who was hindered by shoe problems after someone stood on his spike.

Under-23 women

England-based Dane Anna-Emilie Moller lived up to her reputation as pre-race favourite by coming past Germany’s Anna Gehring right at the end as defending champion Britain had to settle for team bronze.

Moller, the European under-23 steeplechase champion, built up to this event by winning at the Cardiff Cross Challenge, just along the motorway from her St Mary’s base.

After seventh last year, she came into the event on form and it was no surprise when she refused to let Gehring get too far away when she made her move on the last lap of 6.3km race, going away for a two-second win. Poland’s Weronika Pyzik was third, another 10 seconds behind.

Amy Griffiths, the first under-23 at the trial race in Liverpool, was seventh as she led home the British team. With Poppy Tank ninth and Abbie Donnelly 17th, they amassed 33 points for team bronze, with Germany claiming gold on 22 ahead of Spain’s 25.

Photo: Andy Peat

Also running for Britain, Danni Chattenton was 21st, Lydia Turner 30th and Emily Moyes 45th.

Under-23 men

Jimmy Gressier was a decisive winner as he inspired France to team gold over Britain, becoming the first man to defend the European under-23 title.

The former footballer stretched out a lead from early on and had plenty of time to grab two French flags as he came into the finish. Despite literally falling across the line after a stumble, he was four seconds in front of Germany’s runner-up Samuel Fitwi. France had another medal as Hugo Hay took bronze ahead of Ireland’s Ryan Forsyth.

With French flags in both hands Jimmy Gressier attempts to slide but trips to winning the U23 men's gold.

Ireland's Ryan Forsyth finishes a fine 4th ahead of GB's Patrick Dever in 5th. #Tilburg2018 pic.twitter.com/mP8gQJZmCG

— Fast Running (@FastRunning_) December 9, 2018

Although Britain had two in the top 10, France were comfortable winners on 11 points as Fabien Palcau was their final scorer in seventh.
GB’s Patrick Dever improved from 16th last year by placing fifth, three places ahead of team-mate Emile Cairess.

Competing in these championships for the fourth successive occasion, Mahamed Mahamed was next in for Britain in 17th, a couple of positions up on Oliver Fox. Paulos Surafel was 27th, immediately followed John Millar.

RELATED: Ireland’s Ryan Forsyth fourth in U23 men’s race at Euro Cross

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European Athletics has published the final entries for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg on December 9, and it is set to be the biggest to date.

A record 590 athletes representing 38 nations are listed in the final entries, which can be found here.

Four individual champions will be defending their titles from Samorin last December at the Beekse Bergen Safari Park: Turkey’s Kaan Kigen Ozbilen in the men’s senior race, Turkey’s Yasemin Can in the women’s senior race, France’s Jimmy Gressier in the men’s U23 race and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the men’s U20 race.

Can and Ingebrigtsen will be chasing unprecedented hat-tricks in their respective events while Gressier will be looking to become the first male athlete to win back-to-back titles in the U23 race.

The European 5000m and 1500m champion is joined in Norway’s team of 12 by his older brothers Henrik and Filip, while Spain’s team includes 2017 silver medallist Adel Mechaal.

Andy Butchart, Great Britain’s bronze medalist in 2017, will not be competing this year, however, there are many in the GB team, including Ross Millington and Marc Scott, who will challenge the front of the senior men’s race. The full 4o strong GB team can be found here.

Other names to watch for include reigning European U18 1500m and 3000m champion Sarah Healy from Ireland who makes her championship debut in the U20 race. Ireland has named a team of 39 athletes, which can be found here.

Photo: European Athletics via Getty Images

European U23 3000m steeplechase champion Anna Emilie Moller, who won the Cardiff Cross Challenge in October, will be in contention to claim Denmark’s second gold medal in championship history in the U23 race.

Despite the withdrawal of European 5000m champion Sifan Hassan due to illness, the hosts will still have high hopes in the senior women’s race. Susan Krumins will be challenging for a medal a decade after winning the U23 race in her last appearance at the European Cross Country Championships.

The European Cross Country Championships were staged for the first time in Alnwick, Great Britain in 1994 when the programme just consisted of the men’s and women’s senior races. The U20 races were added to the programme in 1997, followed by the U23 races in 2006 before a mixed relay was added to the programme last year.

Great Britain won the inaugural mixed relay title twelve months ago in Samorin where they topped the medal table with five gold medals and nine in total.

RELATED: Time to move on in ‘fake Turks’ saga

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Jakob Ingebrigtsen stormed to 5000m gold at the European Championships in Berlin on Saturday night (August 11) to complete an unbelievable double.

The 17 year-old, who cruised to 1500m gold the night before, beating his two older brothers among others, took victory in 13:17.06, to become the first man to complete a 1500m and 5000m double at the European Championships.

Just like in the 1500m final, the youngster took the lead at the front in the early stages and maintained that position looking assured and in command right to the line.

Ingebrigtsen’s winning time also breaks his own European under-20 record.

“Winning a second title in two days is the result of having done this my whole life,” said Ingebrigtsen. “We started preparing for the 5K final as soon as we crossed the line in the 1500m last night. It was a little crazy to get this medal. This is huge.”

Older brother Henrik Ingebrigtsen tried to go with the pace of his sibling but it too much and he took silver in 13:18.75, while European 10,000m champion, Morhad Amdouni of France, claimed bronze in 13:19.14.

Great Britain’s Marc Scott achieved a top-five spot in 13:23.14, while Chris Thompson finished ninth in 13:25.11, and Ben Connor ran a PB of  13:25.31 to cross the line in 11th place.

At just 17 @JakobIng has doubled up at the European championships!

He adds the 5000m to his 1500m crown!#EC2018 pic.twitter.com/c7Vn1exmKm

— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) August 11, 2018

RELATED: 17 year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen storms to European 1500m gold

Dina Asher-Smith completes fantastic sprint double

It was a case of deja-vu for Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith on Saturday night as she claimed 200m gold in a British record time to complete a historic sprint double.

Fresh from smashing the British record and setting a world lead en route to 100m gold earlier in the week, Asher-Smith dominated the final of the 200m from gun to tape to leave the field in her wake and post a time that stands at both the new British record and again the fastest time in the world this year.

Putting together a magnificent bend sequence, Asher-Smith came into the home straight with a sizeable lead and gold in her sights. With world champion Dafne Schippers looking to close, a final push for the line saw gold clinched in a time of 21.89, a huge revision of her own British record which previously stood at 22.07, as well as the quickest time in the world this year.

“The race was over in a blur; I remember crossing the line and it was like a mixture of happiness and relief that I got it, but yeah, 21.8, honestly I haven’t taken it in yet. 10.8 and 21.8 is more than I could have asked for from this,” said Asher-Smith post-race.

“This year I told myself that I at least wanted to run a 10.8 – I had a joke with my physio that if I run 10.8 I can buy myself a little cute necklace that I’ve been eyeing up. But I didn’t have a time in my head coming into the 200m because I’d done the 100m already and didn’t know how tired I’d be.”

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Jakob Ingebrigtsen showed age is only a number as he delivered a performance beyond his teenage years to take victory in the men’s 1500m final at the European Championships on Friday (Aug 10).

The 17 year-old led after 800m and maintained his commanding position at the front as his experienced rivals jostled for positions down the home straight, before taking gold in 3:38.10.

Ingebrigtsen, who earlier this year beat USA Olympic and world medalist Paul Chelimo and reigning Olympic 1500m champion Matt Centrowitz at the Payton Jordan Invitational, looked assured throughout the metric mile race to finish ahead of his older brothers, 2016 European champion Filip and 2012 European champion Henrik.

Over the final 400m the youngster ran 53.64, and according to IAAF’s Jon Mulkeen, that time would put the European middle-distance champion inside Norway’s top 50 under-20 400m runners this year. Ingebrigtsen also clocked 1:51.27 over the final 800m and that time would rank him 12th on the Norwegian under-20 all-time list.

At the age of 17, Ingebrigtsen has dominated European junior athletics, winning two under-20 cross country titles, under-20 5000m and 3000m steeplechase gold and under-18 1500m gold.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen wins the #EC2018 1500m final in 3:38 and makes it look reallll easy pic.twitter.com/GplTYVLynk

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) August 10, 2018

In terms of records, he is the holder of the fastest ever European under-20 1500m, mile, 3000m steeplechase and 5000m records.

Last year the teenage star chatted to Fast Running about his goals and family rivalry saying: “I want to be the best runner in the world and I will do everything to reach that goal. If that’s not my goal, then I don’t think all the sacrifices are worth it to finish second.

“There is always pressure, but I probably put most of it on myself. I always set very high targets because I want to achieve so much in my career.”

Behind the Norwegian star, Great Britain’s Jake Wightman finished superbly in the closing stages to clinch bronze in 3:38.25, just behind Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski in 3:38.14.

Henrik Ingebrigtsen finished fourth, while GB’s Charlie Da’Vall Grice was fifth, with teammate Chris O’Hare ninth. The defending champion Filip Ingebrigtsen finished 12th.

Bronze for Jake Wightman

It was a great bronze medal from GB’s Wightman in third, who add another major medal to his Commonwealth Games bronze won for Scotland in April.

Photo: Getty

“I’m relieved to be fair,” said Wightman afterwards. “That was the most pressure I’ve put on myself at any championships – you have no idea what’s going to happen and the way people have been running up to this point.

“It meant that it was a pretty exciting race for people to watch and it was a pretty amazing experience going into the final 100m with us Brits and the three Norwegians attempting to win it, and if you ran that race 100 times there would be 100 different outcomes.

“There have been occasions, especially Europeans last time around [2016], when I made the wrong move and compromised my whole race. I made sure I was patient today and left it until the home straight which is why it was so intense in the home straight, but another bronze medal; I can’t complain with how it’s gone for me.”

Earlier this year, Wightman also won his first British title at the GB Indoor Championships in February.

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We’ve already seen a European marathon record from Sondre Norstad Moen and a clean sweep of the podium at the World Triathlon series. Should we be surprised though?

Norway has a distance running background and we are consistently hearing of record-breaking VO2 max scores from cross country skiers, although I have a theory that this is just down to the technique used in labs and any competent skier would score a much higher result skiing compared to running.

But there is a prerequisite for burnout within the nation. Champion athletes routinely hit over 800 hours of training per year for cross country skiing. Taking this amount of exercise into running could certainly bring short-term success, but with burn out around the corner.

That leads me to the young track star, Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Last year, when still 16 years old, the Norwegian competed at a World Championships, Diamond League meets, set numerous records including the youngest person ever to run a sub four-minute mile and set a world age group best for the 5000m. On that occasion, he took massive 10 seconds off the previous mark when he clocked 13:35 at Norway’s national championships.

He boldly claimed he aims to become the best distance runner of all time when he spoke to Fast Running in September, and who can doubt that statement when he is already beating Olympic medalists. But having achieved so much at such a young age you fear the 17 year-old may in danger of burn out before he even leaves the teenage years.

When speaking to top youth development coaches, the one thing that you hear time and time again is that what might be best for the long-term development of the athlete may not translate into great results as a teenager. For one to really reach their physical peak it has to be a long-term project.

Take Toni Minichiello’s work with multi-eventers like Jessica Ennis-Hill. They knew that there would be peaks and troughs in the early career, but working on certain aspects would mean that, in the long run, success would be had. London 2012 was a career long goal.

Distance running may be different, but there are countless youth standouts that fail to advance further than their junior years. Plenty of promising young runners that just can’t cut it in the senior ranks. Although few hit the heights that Ingebrigtsen has already.

The US has streams and streams of high-quality runners throughout high school and college that either can’t or just don’t want to continue running at a high-level post collegiately.

Now it could be said that there is a huge part of the US high school and collegiate set up that isn’t ideal for developing excellent senior athletes. Coaches on high wages at both high school and college need results. They need them now, not in five years time.

Listening to Steve Magness and John Marcus’ podcast you hear that not all coaches succumb to this pressure – or even feel it from their colleges – but it has to be there.

Back to Ingebrigtsen

At the beginning of May, racing at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Stanford, California, young Ingebrigtsen got the upper hand on the Olympic 1500m champion Matt Centrowitz and one of several ‘heirs apparent’ to Mo Farah, Paul Chelimo, as well as American high school star Justin Knight. You can imagine the kid was on cloud nine.

He does, however, come from a strong family of athletes, one where winning is part of your DNA from birth, so maybe it was just another day at the office. But that doesn’t get away from the fact he still so young.

No one denies that Ingebrigtsen is capable of racing against men, but when you look at the number of impressive runs already in his legs, you fear that these performances have come too soon.

Looking at the bigger picture, since he was able to run Ingebrigtsen has chased after his two world-class siblings, Filip, 25, the reigning European 1500m champion and Henrik, 27, who won European gold as a 22 year-old, and you can’t help but wonder if this has in some way created an almost unhealthy desire for success right now, instead of placing the ambitions on long-term aspirations.

Even more so because we’re still over two years off the next Olympics which the youngster has his eyes on. All that considered doesn’t his recent performance feel a little premature, a little too much too soon? Like diving in for a kiss at the start of the first date. As a coach, you surely have to ask if a teenage athlete developing so early in his career to world level is sacrificing greater achievements later on.

Maybe we are reading too much into it. When most of the senior opposition is aiming to peak for summer competitions and races, few are focused on winning an outdoor track race in May. Any other winner in Stanford and it would just be a solid result after a good block of training and no big deal.

Hopefully, I’ll eat my words, and in two or six years time Norway will have a summer Olympic champion to add to their dominance in all things aerobic during the winter.

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Racing against some of the best middle-distance runners in the sport, Jakob Ingebrigtsen was the star at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Stanford, California on Thursday night (May 3).

The talented 17 year-old, brother of Henrik and Filip Ingebrigtsen, ran a personal best 3:39.06 to take victory ahead of USA Olympic and world medalist Paul Chelimo and reigning Olympic 1500m champion Matt Centrowitz in the 1500m race.

Chelimo finished second in 3:40.16, Eric Jenkins was third in 3:40.28, while Centrowitz was only sixth in 3:40.74.

RELATED: Paul Chelimo: ‘soldier first, athlete later’

Ingebrigtsen, who spoke to Fast Running last year about his family, goals and aspirations, ran a final lap of 55.24 making the decisive move with 200m to go and passed Chelimo before opening up a gap that only grew as he went on to achieve the qualifying standard for this summer’s European Championships.

Big win for @JakobIng at Payton Jordan! pic.twitter.com/hzSppAkj2v

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) May 4, 2018

That wasn’t the only success for the family, with older brother Henrik running a big personal best 13:16.97 to take victory in the 5000m and an early season world-leading time.

Britain’s Chris Thompson was also competing in the 5000m and finished 11th in 13:25.29.

After an impressive cross country season and on the road, Ben Connor took nine seconds from his 10,000m best clocking 28:14.56 to finish 11th as Shadrack Kipchirchir took the win in 27:39.65.

Connor was named in the GB team this week for the European 10,000m Cup which is incorporated into the the Highgate Harriers’ Night of 10,000m PBs later this month.

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The 17 year-old younger brother of European 1500m champions Henrik and Filip Ingebrigtsen is not shy to say he wants to become the world’s best ever runner and will do everything within his power to get there.

This season, while still aged 16, the Norwegian star became the youngest ever to run the mile under four minutes. He broke the 41-year-old European U20 3000m steeplechase record, before winning two European U20 titles, then competed at the World Championships, and wrapped things up with a 5000m age group world record.

Having achieved so much at a young age an expectancy exists for even greater accomplishments in his senior years, both from himself and those watching on, but with this comes added pressure, especially when your older brothers have won multiple major medals.

“I want to be the best runner in the world and I will do everything to reach that goal. If that’s not my goal, then I don’t think all the sacrifices are worth it to finish second,” he says. “There is always pressure, but I probably put most of it on myself. I always set very high targets because I want to achieve so much in my career.”

The European U20 Cross Country Champion is the third youngest of seven siblings in the Ingebrigtsen household, with one younger sister and brother. Out of all the children, only himself, Henrik, 26 and Filip, 24 compete in sport. “Even though only three of us run we get a lot of support because everyone in our family wants us to do our best,” he says.

The record-breaking year on the track started in May when he posted 3:58.07 at the iconic Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon to become the youngest ever to break the four-minute barrier for the mile.

“I had competed at a few Diamond League events before, but it was a huge moment to run in Eugene because of the stadium and history,” he explains. “It took a couple of days to fully realise what I had accomplished (running a sub four-minute mile), but we talked before the race about what could possibly happen. It was a huge accomplishment for me.”

Less than a month later he took two further seconds off his time to win in front of an adoring home crowd at the Bislett Games. Fast forward to August, and not forgetting he was still only 16 at this stage, Ingebrigtsen found himself standing on the start line for a 3000m steeplechase heat in London at the World Championships.

To compete at a major championship is the pinnacle of so many athletic careers, but for Ingebrigtsen it was an unexpected surprise, when in his 3000m steeplechase debut a few weeks prior, he achieved the standard for the World Championships, clocking 8:26.81. It was also another record, smashing Ralf Pönitzsch’s 1976 European U20 record by almost three seconds.

“I was definitely not thinking about qualifying for the World Championships, I was just trying to qualify for the European U20 Championships and as a consequence of that, I ran the world standard,” he says. “In the end, I felt I should represent my country in London when I had the opportunity to.”

The steeplechase in London proved a step too far for the young athlete. He failed to make it out of his heat, finishing with a tough fall on the last jump.

“I had a lot of lactic acid in my body and I knew about 200m before the last hurdle I was going to fall,” he jokes. “But the experience was huge and I had nothing to lose by racing in London.” His brother Filip went on to win the 1500m bronze medal in London.

Following the experience of competing at the World Championships, he set a national U18 800m record and a world age group record for 5000m at the Norwegian Championships.

“I had a lot of races that week, I think I ran seven in four days,” he says. “It was a tough weekend, I was actually not supposed to run the 5K because I knew the competition was going to be tough, but in the end, I decided to race and finished with a personal best by 14 seconds I think. I didn’t expect to run that quick because it was late in the season and I was very tired.”

All the accolades achieved up to now would not have been possible without sacrifices, dedication, and hard work.

“As soon as I could walk I was running too. The desire to run is in my family and I always wanted to be like Henrik and Filip,” he says. “From the age of four or five if there was a local run I would have to take part because even then I loved to race and especially win.

“Since the age of eight or nine, I have had some structure and took part in training with my brothers. We all now train together with our dad coaching.

“It get’s competitive, especially with Henrik and Filip, but I am getting close to them and even though we are opponents, we have a good relationship and know it’s important to support each other.”

Coached by their father Gjert, one can only imagine the challenging role of being father and coach to three world-class athletes.

“It’s complicated, the father and son relationship is kind of sacrificed because to be the coach to me and my brothers is a full-time job for him,” he explains. “We don’t really have time for the normal father and son connection because we are always training, and always thinking 24/7 about how we can develop as runners to become the best.”

Looking to next season his main targets are to win a second consecutive European U20 Cross Country title, before competing at the World U20 and senior European Championships. After that, his focus turns to the Tokyo Olympics.

“My top goal is to win medals at major championships,” he says. “The Olympics in 2020 is my first main career target, and hopefully more Olympics after that too.”

But before he can do all of that, the 17-year-old has another school year to contend with, and when asked about balancing his studies and his athletics, he jokingly says: “It’s pretty tough, to see Henrik and Filip sleeping all day when I have to go to high school or to training camps. I have told myself that I have to get through high school and then I can run as much as I want.”

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The 16-year-old, younger brother of Norway stars Henrik and Filip Ingebrigtsen ran the amazing time on his way to the 5000m win at the Sandnes Stadium in Norway on Friday (August 25).

The previous world record for age 16 was set by Japan’s Satoru Kitamura in 2002, who ran 13:45.

Ingebrigtsen, who competed in the 3000m steeplechase at the recent World Championships in London, also set a new national U18 800m record on Thursday, running 1:49.40.

Watch the highlights below of  Ingebrigtsen’s amazing race 5000m race.

The post Watch: 16-Year-Old Jakob Ingebrigtsen Runs 5000m in 13:35 appeared first on Fast Running.