This story starts with two things that happened on 3 March 2002. The European Indoor Championships. Jolanda Ceplak was battling with Stephanie Graf over four laps of an indoor track in Vienna, racing to an 800m World Record of 1:55.82. A couple of thousand kilometres away, Keely Hodgkinson was born. Who knew then that, 8,754 days later, she would be preparing for an attempt to break that still-standing time.

The journey to this moment has not been entirely smooth sailing, particularly when it comes to racing on the indoor oval. Three missed World Indoor Championships, and a World Record attempt – at home – cruelly succumbed to injury last year. Tomorrow evening, in a small town in northern France, the stars might align to allow this fantasy-like story to become reality. Getting to the start line in one piece, and in top fitness, could be seen as almost as big a success as the race result itself.

“I feel like it was kind of taken away from me last year. I was definitely in the shape to do it, but unfortunately the hamstring didn’t want to do it!

I’m excited. I’ve been excited for three weeks, I’ve been counting the days down! Seeing everybody else race, it makes me just want to get out there. I want to seize the opportunity, it’s a quick track here and hopefully we’ll have a smooth race”.

Destiny Unfolding

Lievin is a track Hodgkinson knows well, having raced here twice before. Her last visit, in 2023, brought a victory in 1:57.71. France has delivered plenty of fond memories, culminating of course with Olympic gold in Paris.

It won’t be all plain sailing, with Audrey Werro – the World Leader until last weekend – and 2024 World Indoor Champion Tsige Duguma in the field. However, her own race, and a potential time, are the only thing Keely is focused on. The coincidence of the World Record being set on the day of her birth has not gone unnoticed. It is something of a storyteller’s dream. You could say it’s destiny, if such a thing exists. Keely sees it that way too.

“I’d be fuming if someone else got it before me! It was set on the day I was born, what’s more destiny than that?

I’m going to be 24 next month, so it’s stood for a long time. Jenny [Meadows] was in the stadium when it happened, I was being born out of the womb, they were running fast. I see it as a good challenge; it’s nice to have this challenge early in the season and even more to come outdoors as well”.

Before the outdoor season comes around, however, there is a small matter of the World Indoor Championships. It’s not just a medal that is missing from her CV, but even just an appearance. The past three attempts, including on the day of the race 2022, have fallen short. Next month will hopefully be fourth time lucky. One race at a time, though.

A Warning Shot

No one has got close to Ceplak’s time in the past 24 years. That is until Saturday, when a warning shot was fired at the British Indoor Championships. Not much says ‘I am ready’ more than solo running 1:56.33, the fastest time since the day Hodgkinson was born. Impressively, it came without lights or a pacer, tools that are all too common in today’s racing world.

More impressively, it had been almost three years since her last indoor race. If there were nerves whilst sitting in the call room in the bowels of the Utilita Arena, they didn’t show once on the track.

“Yeah, there were nerves. There’s always some nerves when it comes to racing, especially the first one. I hadn’t run indoors for so long, I had no idea what was going to happen, but I was happy with it.

I wasn’t sure whether to run quick or not. My warm up was great and I thought, ‘well, if I wasn’t going to be here I’d be killing myself in training, you may as well run out and get something out of it’. It was cool”.

Since that race in Birmingham, there has been plenty of talk, almost expectation, that the World Record will fall. The beauty of this sport, however, is that anything can happen. Hodgkinson has worked on cancelling out the external noise and bouncing back from a strong performance.

“It’s definitely something I’ve worked on over the years. Doing something quick like that [British Indoor Championships] and then coming back and still having the drive and motivation to do even more. I think we’ve done a good job, I’m excited for tomorrow and I can’t wait to see what happens”.

Full Circle

You can add an extra chapter to this story. As Keely noted, Jenny Meadows, now part of Keely’s coaching team alongside husband Trevor Painter, was in the stadium that day in Vienna. She had raced in the heats of the 800m one day earlier, but was clipped and did not finish. With the M11 Track Club, it feels full circle that a person who raced at the event where the current World Record was set, may have played a part in seeing it bettered all these years later. As Jenny herself says;

“It’s a really nice moment. I actually remember being in the stand, crying, saying how am I ever supposed to do that? I wasn’t able to do it myself, and I’m so privileged to be in a position where I can hopefully help contribute to somebody who can, because obviously she’s very capable”.

The women’s 800m at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in Lievin takes place at 21:25 (UK time) on Thursday 19 February.

The post Keely Hodgkinson: Destiny to Reality appeared first on Fast Running.

What’s better than one race in Boston? Two! After a stint training in a sunny Tallahassee, Issy headed to a considerably colder and snowier Boston. First, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. A meeting she knows well, and which delivered an indoor PB of 2:00.14. A week later, and a couple of kilometres away, a debut visit to the famed Boston University track.

Four laps, and 1:57.43. An outright PB by two seconds, a World Lead, second on the British all-time list. There’s historical significance to it too; it moves Issy into the top-ten fastest women in history indoors. A much-deserved breakthrough, but one that wasn’t exactly unexpected.

“It’s all feeling very real now. I think I was very shocked in the moment, but it made sense with all the training that I’ve done. I’m just really happy about it. So many people have been amazing and congratulatory.

It really didn’t feel like a 1:57. When people talk about doing their quickest times, they say ‘oh, it was easy’ and it’s that everything comes together at the same time. I definitely felt like I crossed that line. I didn’t see the time initially because of the way stuff was placed on the infield. When I turned around and saw the time, I was beyond shocked. It really didn’t feel like I’d run that quickly in that moment.

When they announced Roisin [Willis] had set an American Record, I was like, oh, what does that mean for me? That was quite exciting. I didn’t think it was a British Record, but I knew it must be up there. I immediately ran over and called my coach and said, did you see what just happened? What does it mean?

In hindsight, I can say it was crazy, and I’m absolutely buzzing”.

Something in Common

The setting of the two races in Boston couldn’t be much more different. The first with the glitz, formality and pressure that comes with a World Indoor Tour Gold meeting, especially one overseen by Issy’s sponsors, New Balance. The latter brought none of that; instead, hundreds of collegiate and athlete athletes crammed into a smaller venue. “A more chaotic BMC”, as Issy put it.

However, one commonality between the two races was a strong last 200m, a trademark of many of Issy’s races. For her – and others – it was pleasing to see it back, particularly in races quicker than she has run before.

“I used to have that so much in me, that was sort of my signature thing. I feel like I lost it for a little bit where I was trying to figure out how to race. In the past two races, I’ve really had that in my pocket coming into that last lap. It’s really nice to feel like I’m back to my old ways a little bit.

At the New Balance Grand Prix, I came off that last lap thinking I probably should have run a bit quicker than that. I think I’d underestimated my ability at that point and didn’t really go with the pace. My aim going into the next one was to go with the pacer a little bit more. I did, and I pulled it off, which was great”.

Photo: Justin Britton

Changing Outlook

In a way, it is funny how just under two minutes of racing can change the course of a career. Short-term plans changed. Plans for the 400m at the British Indoor Championships before moving to training for the outdoor season were rewritten. The World Indoors, notably late March this year, moved firmly into vision.

Furthermore, 1:57.43 also secures the qualifying standard for the European Championships in Birmingham and Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The pressure that can come from having to chase a standard early in a season is removed. The race opportunities afforded to a 1:57 runner can also differ considerably to those of a 1:59 runner. We are speaking less than a week after that run in Boston, but new opportunities have already arisen.

“It has unlocked some doors. I’m going to do another [World Indoor Tour] gold meet, hopefully after the British Champs, which would be great.

The main thing is that I got the Welsh standard for the Commonwealth Games, which I’ve been aiming to get this year. I was originally going to open really early outdoors in order to get that, because the cut off time is in the middle of May. It does change what we thought we’d be doing. The World Indoor Championships are now more on our radar.

We’ll see what happens at the British Champs and then can make a big plan on what happens for the rest of the season”.

Photo: James Rhodes

Back to Birmingham

Birmingham is where Issy calls home. She studied at the University of Birmingham and continues to train there under the guidance of Luke Gunn. Naturally, the prospect of competing at the European Championships in a full Alexander Stadium is an exciting prospect. As is a maiden appearance for Wales at the Commonwealth Games.

“It is really exciting. Even though Glasgow is in Scotland, you still have all of the UK fans there, which would be great. Birmingham is where I train and where I live, so it would be super exciting to be on that team. It will be really hard just to get on that team, which is crazy. For the 800m, there’s four spots because Keeley is reigning champion, which helps in terms of qualification. If I can qualify, then hopefully I can gear towards getting into the final. It is an exciting prospect”.

First, however, all eyes are on the British Indoor Championships, an event Issy won in 2023 and 2025.

“I’m really excited for the British Championships. I’m hoping it will be less tactical and quite fast, but it just depends on what happens on the day. Last year when I won, I thought it was going to be really quick. I thought people were going to go for the time to get into the European Indoors, but they didn’t.

I think I have a kick in me, and I’ve proved that now a couple of times this year. Hopefully people will see that and we’ll try and push it and make it a quick race. The crowd will hopefully spur us on a little bit more, which is really exciting”.

A Potential Trip to Poland

Issy currently sits third on the world list for 2026, behind Keely Hodgkinson and Audrey Werro. The World Indoor Championships are five weeks away, and whilst her team have a grand plan in place, Issy is taking it one race at a time.

“The British Champs is the main thing that I’m looking forward to. We’ll take it from there. Honestly, the World Indoors wasn’t on my radar as much, because we’d been planning to open outdoors so early. I would have been considering the World Indoors more intensely before all of this, if it had been slightly earlier. It would have just given more time. But now, everything’s changed. We’re just trying to figure it out. Luke definitely has a super solid plan in place, he’s very on it. I’m just doing my races”.

The British Indoor Championships final takes place at 15:38 on Sunday 15 February.

Photo: Justin Britton

The post Issy Boffey’s Boston Breakthrough appeared first on Fast Running.

Early morning, Sunday 23 April 2017. Thousands of runners – full of excitement and nerves – headed to Blackheath to start a 26.2 mile adventure. A few miles westward, many younger athletes were simultaneously getting ready for their own adventure. The final three miles of the London Marathon course, warming the roads up before the greats via the Mini London Marathon.

One of those was a seventeen-year-old Julia Paternain. That day, her love of the roads was born. Nine years – and one World Championships bronze medal – later, she returns to the same streets for the full distance. If there is one word that describes how she feels about the prospect of a first race in England since 2018, and a first visit in nearly five years, it is excited.

“I’m extremely excited, I grew up watching the London Marathon! I grew up only an hour away from London, so I’m very familiar with it. My mum worked in London. It’ll be fun just to be able to go home. I have a lot of friends that I’m already planning on seeing after the race”.

Growing Up

Julia now lives in Flagstaff (Arizona), coached by Jack Polerecky as part of the McKirdy Trained group. However, it was at Cambridge & Coleridge that her love for the sport was nurtured, under the guidance of Mark Vile and Ric Park. It is a club and environment to which she places a great deal of gratitude.

“Ric Park and Mark Vile created such a great atmosphere, it was a great community and such a great environment. Everyone at the track was there for a common purpose, everyone just wanted to put in the hard work. Sometimes the weather would suck, it was gross, cold, miserable. But we were all out there, just trying to get better. They instilled in me that you get out what you put in.

I really like Mark, he was a no excuses type of coach. He instilled this mental toughness in me from a young age and I will forever be grateful for that. I remember one time, someone came up to him at training and said, ‘Mark, I’m really tired today’. He was like, ‘You’re a distance runner. You wake up tired, you got to sleep tired, what do you expect?’. Obviously, within reason, he’s not crazy!

I loved that attitude, C&C really did a lot for me. They are people who want to be there for the love of the sport, I think that is great”.

One of her training partners was Tom Keen, who had English Schools success at the same time as Julia. It is nice that, in the same year Julia made her senior international debut Tom did too, at the European Indoor Championships. Running is a small world, as the pair recently met for the first time since.

“I ran into him on the treadmill in a gym a mile from my house! I haven’t seen him since we both won English Schools when we were 15 or 16. It was really cool, a full circle moment”.

Julia & Tom Keen at the English Schools. Photo: Mark Vile

Lighting A Spark

There are many highlights to Julia’s junior career, too many to mention all. Perhaps at the top is back-to-back English Schools titles over 3000m in 2017 and 2018. However, it was a second-place finish at the 2017 Mini London Marathon – on the day Mary Keitany set a (women’s only) World Record – that helped light the spark that led to April’s London debut.

Back then, the Mini London Marathon required qualification and saw the best of the UK’s junior athletes race against each other. It covered the final three miles of the marathon course and was run on marathon morning. A race like little other, at that age at least.

“It’s kind of crazy when I think about it. I think it was one of the first road races that I ever did. I had a great race, it was probably one of the best races of my junior career. I remember finishing and thinking, ‘man, I like the roads, that was cool!’. I remember being really starstruck with the elites running the London Marathon and just thinking about how cool the whole environment was.

I remember really enjoying those last three miles and just the atmosphere. Everything was something I’d never experienced before. It’s going to be amazing to be able to enjoy that for a full marathon.

To look back at it, and to get to live out my childhood dream, is really special. I’m very excited”.

Running at the 2017 Mini London Marathon. Photo: Mark Vile

Early Preparations

There are more similarities between that race and those of a professional athlete than might initially appear. For those reading this who experienced the Mini London Marathon, perhaps memories are flooding back. Early morning coach journeys, hundreds of athletes getting ready in one confined space, plenty of pent-up nerves and excitement. Experiencing that at a young age, including at other races in England, provided a useful grounding for Julia’s professional journey.

“I think the Mini Marathon was a really great experience. It was one of those races where I had no idea what was happening! I remember getting on a warm-up bus and then being with all the other athletes. I was really nervous, just happy to be there.

It was a really great experience because that is truly what a lot of road races are like. There was a warm-up bus in Japan. You’re around a bunch of other athletes. Everyone’s kind of nervous and you’re making small talk.

I think it really did prepare me well. I have to credit a lot to growing up in England and the British races I did. The way they are set up prepares you very well for once you get to the bigger races in your senior career”.

The Road to Tokyo

If the Mini London Marathon was the best race of Julia’s junior career, then last September’s was the best of her senior career. So far.

Much has changed in the eight and a half years between the two. Life is lived in Flagstaff with the McKirdy Trained group. It was at the McKirdy Micro: The Road to Tokyo that Julia made her marathon debut, finishing in 2:27:09.

The race’s name is apt, given six months later it was where Julia found herself. The World Championships, as (literally) the last qualifier. After two- and a-bit hours on the roads of the Japanese capital and one lap of the Olympic Stadium, a bronze medal awaited. The first for Uruguay in World Championships history. Disbelief, for Julia and those watching, made for a heartwarming reaction. It was a proud moment, and one that took a while to sink in.

“I had a lot of moments in my career where I very nearly quit running, so it was a really just great experience to be able to put together this huge body of work that I feel like I’ve trained for my whole life. It sounds cliche, but it was really, really satisfying to kind of see it all come together.

Only in the last month has it sunk in. It was all kind of ‘go, go, go’, it didn’t feel real. I was on cloud nine for a very long time. During Christmas and New Year, I think life and the world has kind of moved on. It’s allowed me time for it to sink in and realise, oh, that really did happen!”.

Photo: James Rhodes

Full Trust

Jack Polerecky and James McKirdy guide Julia through her senior and professional career, just as Cambridge & Coleridge did when a junior. It’s a close-knit group, and Julia credits their guidance as the biggest factor in her Tokyo success.

“My team out here is great. I would consider all my teammates as friends and then teammates. It’s really enjoyable, because I get to show up to training and enjoy the people I’m around. I really enjoy the people I have around me. Not only are they just great people to be around, but I trust everything that they tell me so, so much.

They really know what they’re doing, especially when it comes to the marathon. In preparing for Tokyo, they knew the key thing was to stay cool and get all your fuelling in. You could really see that that was one of the main things that helped in my race.

I truly trust all the advice they give me. I can stand on that start line without thinking, ‘did I do this right, did I do that right?’. I know I did everything in my power to be here and I did the best I could. Just having that blind faith in them is this really great. Mentally, it really helps give me a lot of confidence.

They’re just great people. After the Worlds, for example, my agent said it will be a bit of an emotional roller coaster. It is a really great thing, but there’s the highs and the lows, the post-Olympic blues people call it. Just having someone that fully understands that is really is really useful”.

Photo: Bjorn Paree

Back to London

After running 2:27 in her first two marathons, Julia’s primary goal for London is to run faster than she has before. Continuing to learn too, given the event is still relatively new. As Julia puts it, “going through the process of the marathon build and seeing what I can get out of myself is what really excites me”. There is more to the race than that, however. Reconnecting with the younger self whose dreams were born in London all those years ago.

“I am excited to be able to go back and almost reconnect with like the younger athlete in me. I haven’t been home in so long and I’m excited to experience the British distance running scene again. It’s such a great environment back home, everyone really does it for the love of the sport.

I’m just excited I’m getting to run the London Marathon. It’ll be very special, regardless of whatever the outcome is”.

The post Julia Paternain: London Calling appeared first on Fast Running.

This year’s 10k Valencia Ibercaja was a step-change, and potentially career-changing, race for a number of British athletes. One of them is Alfie Manthorpe. He now sits third on the British all-time list, and spoke to James Rhodes to run through the race and what might follow.

What links the commentary of the 2004 Olympic Games 1500m final and this year’s 10k Valencia Ibercaja, you may ask. In his call of those 3.75 laps, Bruce McAveney says a line that sticks and sums up this sport well. “Gee, four minutes can make a big difference in a person’s life”. Fast forward 21 years, move from Greece to Spain, and add 23-or-so minutes, the quote is just as applicable.

Alfie Manthorpe started the year with a 10k PB of 28:12. That is an impressive time in its own right. It is one that in part paved the way to two Great Britain vests in 2025. Now, it sits at 27:40, or two seconds faster if you go by chip, not gun, time. Speaking some twelve after crossing the finish line, it had not fully sunk in.

“I’m feeling great, to be honest. I don’t know what I expected going into it. It’s hard to know, I couldn’t gage where I was at in training. I knew I was better than last year, but I didn’t think I was 32 seconds better than last year! In my head, I was thinking maybe sub-28 and I’d be chuffed with that. So 27:38 on the chip time – which I’m taking by the way – it’s great”.

The streets of Valencia are ones Alfie knows well. His previous 10k PB of 28:12 was set at the same event twelve months ago. In October, he returned and ran a 61:26 PB for the half marathon. That was the sixth fastest half by a Brit last year.

Everything Changes

Not only does 27:40 (or 27:38 chip) move Alfie up the British all-time list, it opens potential new racing opportunities. There are two major competitions in the United Kingdom this year; the European Championships in Birmingham and Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The qualifying time for both is 27:50. One box ticked. In addition, Alfie is targeting selection for the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September.

The half marathon at the latter had been the original target. Naturally, the potential opportunity to compete a home championships has moved up the priority list. It wasn’t something Alfie necessarily imagined possible, even at the start of the year.

“I need to think about the logistics moving forward. To be honest, I never thought I’d be making a team at a major championships. I’ve made the team on the road, cross country and at the European 10000m Cup, but maybe two home championships? It’s actually quite a weird feeling”.

Even the short-term plan is now not set in stone. The next three weeks will be spent training in Sierra Nevada, before racing recommences in February and March. A medium-term goal is the Bath Half Marathon in mid-March, the trial race for the World Road Running Championships.

“The plan was originally to do a 5k or 10K, or both, in February. Straight after the race, one of the organisers asked if I wanted to come and do the Castellon 10k next month. The plan was Armagh and then have a look around, but Castellon sounds perfect with the dates. I’ll have to have a look and plan”.

Other Opportunities

Alfie is refreshingly open in saying he does not currently have a shoe contract. He points out that is something the two fastest Brits to finish have in common. As well providing additional racing opportunities, the Valencia performance may open doors to opportunities that expand on his current sponsors.

“Today almost changes the whole conversation from whatever I was having as a 28:12 10k runner. It’s a different conversation as a 27:40 runner. I have a few things in the works at the minute, which if they come to fruition will be really good for me”.

Often, shoe contracts include performance- or record-based goals. These naturally can provide added inspiration when a specific time may be within reach in a race. Alfie candidly runs through his mid-race mindset or, as he says, what might be the post-race hindsight mindset.

“With maybe 1k to go, I had no clue what time I was on for. I didn’t look at my watch, but I knew what we went through halfway in. I wondered, if I turn this [final] corner and see the clock and the British Record is there, what am I going to do?

I kind of thought in my head, which is terrible, I’ve not got a contract that means I get a bonus. I’ve got contracts, but none of them have a bonus structure for a British Record. I couldn’t help but think after the race if there was an extra carrot of like a £50,000 bonus, how much more I was willing to hurt? The Valencia finish is just so daunting, you don’t want to push too early because of how long the straight is.

I don’t think I could have done anything more. It was a great race, it’s probably just me in hindsight looking back”.

Photo: Jerry Sun

Something Different

A debut marathon was – and remains – a goal for the year. The only question now is when, not if, that debut will happen. One original plan had been the Seville Marathon (15 February), before focus shifted towards an April debut.

“It is a little bit interesting, because my plan was to do an April marathon. But now, is it really smart to run a marathon in April and then try and get ready [to try and qualify] for the Europeans and 10000m? I’m not sure yet.

It’s something I need to think about, but I don’t want to keep on delaying the marathon, that is the inevitable. As good as 27:38 is for me, I definitely still think my strength is in the in the half and in the marathon. That needs to be what I’m still putting focus.

It makes me want to stick around for the shorter distances a bit longer, but I don’t know if it’s a wise decision or not. I’ve already probably overstayed my welcome in terms of what my strengths are. I need to decide all of that”.

Manchester and Rotterdam are options under consideration, the former a particular draw as a home race.

“I would like to do Manchester. It’s technically my home now because I’ve moved, so it’d be cool to do that as a debut. It’s so hard. I know it’s a luxury to have, but when you instantly have more options, you don’t know which avenue to go down”.

With new opportunities aplenty, the question of returning to race a third distance on the streets of Valencia as a debut arises.

“I don’t think I can wait that long. I’m definitely to ask to do Valencia, that’ll either be my first or my second marathon. I’m not sure yet, but I’ll definitely be doing it this year”.

One thing is for sure, an exciting year ahead awaits.

Valencia Coverage

Read more about the 10k Valencia Ibercaja in our results article here.

The post Alfie Manthorpe: A Race to Remember appeared first on Fast Running.

It is hard to believe the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus were seven years ago, yet they were. It was where Rory Leonard made his international debut for Great Britain in the U20 race. Fast forward to 2026, and a senior world debut awaits in Tallahassee.

In a way, it is a full circle moment for Rory. The Florida city was home to another debut; his first NCAA Championships in November 2021 whilst at Oklahoma State University. Then, it was the best at collegiate level he was lining up against. This time, it’s the best in the world.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’ve run on the course before, so I’m quite excited to be back. Right now, I’m just getting over the flight. I’m happy that I’ve come out a little bit earlier because I think coming out a couple days before can be tough.

I’m really excited for it. It’s my first senior world championships, which is really cool and why I thought it would be a great opportunity to come and do it. So rarely is a World Cross held in in January. It’s just the perfect time of year really to come out and do it. You get to see people from around the world who you literally never get to see until a World Champs. There’s people from places like New Zealand who don’t race in Europe, so it’s exciting”.

Bouncing Back

Less than a month ago, Rory competed at the European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa. His expectations were high after finishing second at the trial race in Sefton Park, behind Team Makou teammate Scott Beattie. However, a late-in-the-day knee injury impacted him in the race where he finished seventeenth.

“Well, I’ve got two operating legs now! The knee thing in Portugal cropped up so late in in the build-up, it was almost laughable. I haven’t spoken loads about exactly how it happened, and I probably won’t for a little bit, but it was a nightmare.

In the build up to the Europeans I saw my physio a couple of times. We tried but we just couldn’t quite get things right. The part of my knee that was really sore led to a chain reaction of different things on that left leg. Since then, we’ve been able to iron everything out which has been amazing. Now, I’m feeling a lot better about my actual biomechanics going in [to the race].

I’m quite happy with this course. I know there’s some weird things thrown into it, but less so than that European Cross course, which was insane! The ups, downs and corners, plus going jumps after a 600m hill. I was like, ok, whoever has designed this course has designed for it to hurt”.

Knowing What to Expect

Cross country races in the US are, generally, rather different to what we’re more used at home. Rory’s experience of racing whilst at Oklahoma State University provides useful context on what to expect from the course. What to expect in the race itself, however, is less known.

“It gives you the opportunity to have a bit of rhythm running. I think what I enjoyed the most about the US cross races was that you had long courses with no real sharp corners. You could just be in a real rhythm. I think that suits my running efficiency, which I’d say is why I tend to run a bit better on the road.

Expectation wise, it’s quite hard to say because you don’t know exactly who’s going to be here. I know the Spanish are strong, the French are very strong. The Americans are very strong and the Australian team is pretty strong. I think I’ll know after the first sort of 200 metres, where the race is, where my race is. I’m quite excited to figure that out and go from there”.

A Strong British Team

Rory is joined by David Mullarkey, Matt Ramsden and Jacob Cann in the senior men’s race in Tallahassee. He speaks highly of all three.

“Me and David Mullarkey have been so similar over the years. I feel like I’ve maybe had a couple more lucky breaks than he has. A lot of his great running has been done while in the US, which is probably why he hasn’t had a lot of the kudos that he deserves. This is going to be quite a good opportunity for him to show on a world stage how good he is.

It’s cool having Matt [Ramsden] on the team, he’s got a good sense of humour. I think he maybe got snubbed for a selection last summer, and I had a chat with him after that.  At that age especially, you’re going to miss out on vests and it feels like the worst thing that’s ever happened to you. He’s plugged away and, before you know it, he’s come sixth in the U23s and been picked for a senior vest.

Jacob Cann as well, it’s great to have him on the team after we were both in Portugal. He’s another really good guy and it’s great for him to get some experience on the world stage”.

Photo: James Rhodes

An Easy Decision

Taking place one day after the World Cross Country Championships is the Valencia 10k. It is a race with special memories for Rory; at last year’s edition, he set a British Record of 27:38. The lure of a fast course, strong competition and kind conditions has tempted many British runners to the Spanish city. Rory, however, is not one of them. It was an easy decision.

“It was it was quite easy for me. This was a great opportunity to come out here and do something different. I love the Valencia 10k but it was a bit of a circus last year. It was so great to break the British Record, that was a great way to start the year.

This year, it might not be the best way to start the year. The only possible good day I could have is running the record again and being first Brit. If that is the only way you can walk out of a race and think, ‘that was a decent day’, I think you’re stacking things up quite high. I’d much rather go win it [the record] back in the future.

I said at the time that I think our British Record for 10k is further behind the French and a couple of other European countries. I think it would be great to be a part of a group knocking it down further and further. I want to come back to it at some point and knock it down a fair bit more.

So as bad as it sounds, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to lose it. I want to do more, I want to do different things. That was great, but that was then and this is now”.

Photo: James Rhodes

Team Competition

It is a different path to his training partner Scott Beattie. He has chosen the streets of Valencia in favour of automatic selection for Tallahassee. Both are coached by Andy Hobdell and are part of Hoka’s Team Makou. Scott, alongside Charles Wheeler, Hugo Milner, and many others, will be chasing a fast time. Rory will be supporting his friend, but equally hoping he returns to shorter distances for a fair while after.

“I’m massively rooting for Scott at the weekend, he’s due a good 10k. He’s had a couple of ropey years with the distance but there’s a good one in there. Once he does that one and gets the little mental breakthrough on it, that’ll be great. Ideally, he will stay down at 5k for the next couple of years at least! I’ll be rooting for him in the 5k, but no, it’ll be good to see him run well in Valencia.

If we can have a British Record battle in Team Makou that would be really cool! Let’s see”.

Other team members include Callum Elson, who joined Rory and Scott in Lagoa, Ellis Cross, Sarah Astin and India Weir. India makes her Great Britain debut in the mixed relay in Tallahassee.

Looking Beyond Tallahassee

Rory will stay in the United States after this weekend, where he will target fast times over 5000m and 10000m. The latter, an event in which he won the European U23 Championships in 2023, will be his focus this summer.

Photo: James Rhodes

First will be a return to Boston University’s famed indoor track, home to his 5000m PB (13:22.46) set last year. After, attention shifts to 25 laps of the track at Sound Running’s The TEN on Saturday 28 March. As Rory explains, there will be the intricate differences between how the ‘a’ and ‘b’ races may unfold. It gives him food for thought, luckily with ten-odd weeks until the race.

That race may unlock the time needed to help secure qualification for the bigger competitions in the summer. Both the European Championships in Birmingham and Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are on the radar. The qualifying standard is 27:50 for both, a time Rory has bettered on the track (27:38.39 in May 2024). Rory is already thinking about the time that may be needed to make the team.

“I’ve kind of worked out that, if all the possible names want to race the 10k at the European Championships or Commonwealth Games, in my head the minimum time that you’re going to have to run to make the team is about 27:30.

I definitely think that, as a realistic goal, you’ve got to run under 27:30. I ran 27:38 coming up to two years ago, so I should absolutely be looking for something around 27:20. The 10,000m is hard, though, you’ve got to get them right on the day”.

First though is Saturday. The senior men’s race takes place at 17:20 UK time on Saturday 10 January and will be shown by the BBC.

The full Great Britain team can be seen here.

The post World XC Championships: Rory Leonard appeared first on Fast Running.

Not many athletes get to make their age-group debut and senior debut within the space of one month. Yet that is exactly what Matt Ramsden will do when he puts on his Great Britain vest on Saturday.

An impressive sixth place in the U23 men’s race at December’s European Cross Country Championships helped secure what lies ahead. Five laps of two kilometres in Tallahassee against some of the best runners in the world. It is an experience Matt is relishing.

“I’m looking forward to it. It should be good fun. It’s what every runner dreams of, running against the best. The bigger the competition, the more exciting it is.

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster to say the least, but like I said every runner wants to run against the best runners. That’s how you get better yourself. I’m excited for it. Hopefully I can challenge and have a good run, see how we get on”.

As it’s my first experience, I’ve tried to not put any pressure on. There’s always going to be added pressure and pre-race nerves, probably more than I’ve ever had before. I just want to make the most of it and try and have a strong run as I can. I want to make the most of the opportunity that British Athletics have given me”.

Pre-Season Goals

In the run up to winter, Matt had clear goals for the season. However, a trip to the United States was not initially on the radar.

“It’s gone from 0 to 100 really quickly from November to now. It’s not what I anticipated would be happening at the start of the cross country season. I’ll be forever grateful to British Athletics for trusting me to represent on a senior stage so early on after making my debut. Whilst I’ve got the opportunity I want to try and make the most of it.

The aim was to get my first GB vest. I knew there was a really good chance to gain some experience and hopefully challenge at the top end of the U23s. Then I got selected to run at the Worlds off the back of it!”.

A Visit to Portugal

In November, Matt won the U23 trials race in a muddy Sefton Park to guarantee selection for the Europeans. The two courses could not be much more different to each other, both in terms of technicality and ground conditions. Matt ran well to finish sixth and top Brit. It was an experience, and course, he enjoyed.

“I enjoyed it in terms of it being an interesting course. It was very tactical, and I like the tactical side of running. That’s why I like track racing, because it’s all about where you position yourself, following moves, that sort of thing.

It was almost like a track race, obviously minus the hills and the sharp turns. The technical side of it and how you had to stay switched on all the time, I really enjoyed.  I was happy to come away with a with a good run”.

Representing your country for the first time, combined with the energy that a major championship brings, can be daunting. There are plenty of learning experiences from Portugal that will join Matt on the journey to Tallahassee.

“Everyone talks about the team environment of the Euro Cross and I really did experience that whilst we’re out there.

I suppose World Cross will be the same, obviously it’s a stronger field and a higher level, but it’s still the same preparation for us all, the same pre-race nerves. It’s just a slightly higher level than what I have done before. Getting that first experience out of the way, I’ve learned how it works on the cross scene in terms of pre-race routine. I’m looking forward to it, but I’m glad I’ve got that first experience out of the way to be honest”.

Photo: James Rhodes

Stepping Stone

Many athletes can experience challenges when making the step-up from age group competition to senior level. Having the opportunity to experience both in quick succession is not something Matt takes lightly.

“I think a lot of athletes will agree probably the hardest thing is making the step up to the seniors. I think the U23 category is a second stepping stone, because the gap from U20s to seniors is massive. Even from the U23s, the gap is still huge.

I want to go out there and enjoy it. For myself, I want to showcase what I’ve got. Hopefully it’ll give me the vital experience that I need to make it a repeated thing, making championships and getting senior vests.

I know I’ve only just got my debut last month, but it’s what every runner dreams of.

The hardest thing to do is to make that jump into the seniors. I want to do it properly and try and become a mainstay in teams. Try and gain as many vests as I can, push up the ranks, finish higher and higher and see where I can get”.

A Special Win & Looking Ahead

Another milestone success came in between the two championships. In his fourth appearance in as many years, Matt recorded his debut win at the Ribble Valley 10k. The fact that the race is organised by his home club Blackburn Harriers made it all the more special.

“I love the Ribble Valley course. It’s a tough one, but it attracts really good runners; Emile Cairess and Marc Scott did it a couple years ago. Every year I seem to gradually climb up there and my times have slowly come down. As I do every year, and the conditions are usually the same – a bit of wind, but nothing too bad –I can see my progression year on year. I was happy with that”.

Photo: RunThrough

No specific races are yet pencilled in Matt’s calendar after Tallahassee, but the road, track and cross all await. The latter may include the inter-county championships (Nottingham, 7 March) and national championships (Durham, 21 February). After that, continuing the PB revisions that came last year is on the agenda. They currently sit at 13:44 (5k), 29:05 (10k), 13:48.12 (5000m) and 29:16.07 (10000m). Three of those four were set in 2025.

“I want to try and get my 5k and 10k PBs down if I can, prior to track season starting. Plus, whilst I’m fit! I do get bad luck now and again with injuries and illnesses, so I want to try and make the most of running quick whilst I can.

That will set me in a good way for the track season and hopefully I get those times down too”.

Saturday’s Race

Matt is joined by Rory Leonard, David Mullarkey and Jacob Cann in the senior men’s race. It takes place at 12:20 local time (17:20 UK time) on Saturday 10 January. It will be streamed live by the BBC.

The full Great Britain team can be seen here.

The post World XC Championships: Matt Ramsden appeared first on Fast Running.

When Saturday ends, Jacob Cann will be able to say he has represented his country at a World Championships. Ten kilometres in Tallahassee await as the World Cross Country Championships return to the United States for the first time since 1992.

It comes off the back of an excellent 2025. A couple of England vests at Spain and Belgium opened the year. Fast forward and PBs at every distance on the track, including a maiden sub-four mile, provided a successful summer. Before you know it, cross country season returned. A notably fast leg at the National Cross Country Relays at the start of November preceded possibly the most important domestic race of the season; Liverpool.

A fourth-place finish guaranteed selection for the European Cross Country Championships and a first Great Britain vest. The multi-lap course in Lagoa could not be much more different to Sefton Park if it tried, and Jacob has mixed emotions from the race.

“If you told me I’d finish 29th beforehand, I’d have probably taken that. I just felt pretty terrible after the first lap. It was not respecting the course as much as anything, it was pretty tough. I was pretty content with it I’d say, not quite happy, but I had a little reset after so hopefully I can be a little bit stronger in Tallahassee”.

An Unexpected Outcome

Rewind a few months to the point of planning for the season ahead. I asked Jacob if he imagined he’d be in the position he is now.

“Not at all! I had Liverpool as the main goal, and I was originally thinking of doing the short course! It was probably October time that I decided to do the long course. I thought Euros is probably a bit of a long shot, so getting in there was pretty cool”.

It was whilst in Portugal that discussion on the potential to compete in Tallahassee first arose.

“I remember on the transfer from the airport to the hotel when we got to Portugal, Eamonn [Martin] was asking me, ‘do you think you’d be up for doing the Worlds if we select you?’. I didn’t think I’d have a chance of making the team! Even before Portugal I didn’t think I would have a chance of making the Worlds so it’s pretty cool that it’s come about!”.

Photo: Mark Hookway

Race Goals

Saturday is an experience Jacob is looking forward to and, for the most part, training has gone well. There are no pre-set target times or positions going into the race, a first experience of racing the world’s best.

“Even at the Europeans, I had no idea what kind of position I was racing for. I don’t really know a lot of the guys I’m running around. It’s going to be a case of gaging my own effort a bit. Obviously I know the other GB guys, and I can key off them a little bit. I think it’ll be a ‘see where see where I am at the finish line’ kind of job!”.

There is plenty of learning from the weekend in Portugal, as well as the abroad competitions with England Athletics, that make the prospect of a major championships less daunting. Luckily, dealing with pre-race nerves isn’t one element Jacob will contend with.

“Fortunately, I’m not really someone who gets nerves pre-race, which is quite handy! Otherwise I would have been a bit of a wreck before Portugal, there was a lot going on. Having that experience is good as it was all new; the travel experience, being away from home, having to adjust everything”.

Jacob also cites the invaluable experience gained racing for England three times in the last year, and the role of Eamonn Martin in providing those opportunities.

Familiar Conditions

It is fair to say that American cross-country courses are somewhat different to those closer to home. It is something Jacob knows well through his time at the University of San Francisco. California might be as far from Florida as is possible, it is experience that may come in handy on Saturday.

“I really like the look of the course, it looks like it should suit me relatively well. I’m quite excited to get out there. It’s been two years since I last did US cross country, it’ll be fun to go back to.

Some of the California ones I did, they were literally golf courses! I think having that experience of racing some of those will be pretty important going into it. It is quite different [to UK cross country races], you have to treat it more like a road race. It’s just fast the whole time”.

Future Goals

It is an exciting way to start the year, and plans are being formulated for later months. In the shorter term, those plans include the 3000m at the British Indoor Championships next month.

“There’s a couple of races I’ve got planned. I’ll do indoors, and certainly the British Indoor Championships. I’m not sure how much cross I’ll do the rest in the spring. For the track season I’ve not thought that far ahead yet. I’m going to see how the weekend goes and reset a little from there before we get into track mode.

I’ll probably be looking at 5000m and 1500m again, and decide which I’m going to focus on a little bit later on, we’ll see how things go!”

Saturday’s Race

Jacob is joined by Rory Leonard, David Mullarkey and Matt Ramsden in the senior men’s race. It takes place at 12:20 local time (17:20 UK time) on Saturday 10 January. It will be streamed live by the BBC.

The full Great Britain team can be seen here.

The post World XC Championships: Jacob Cann appeared first on Fast Running.

The British Championships timetable can be found here, and the UKA Selection Policy for the World Championships can be found here.

Note: n/c means not competing in the specific event at the British Championships.

Men’s 800m

WA Q: 1:44.50

Max Burgin, Henry Jonas, Ethan Hussey, Callum Dodds, Elliot Giles (n/c), Justin Davies

UKA Q: 1:45.25

Alex Botterill, Ben Pattison*, Jake Wightman* (n/c), Tiarnan Crorken*, Josh Kerr* (n/c)

*: not within World Ranking quota at the time of writing

With a flurry of qualifying standards secured in recent weeks, the men’s 800m once again promises to be one of the events of the weekend. It is also one of the more complex to explain in terms of Tokyo qualifying. There are many ifs and buts within what follows.

Thanks to his bronze medal in Budapest in 2023, Ben Pattison is guaranteed selection – subject to meeting two conditions. First is having the standard or being within a World Ranking position. Second is meeting this criterion in the UKA Selection Policy:

“provided in the Panel’s expert opinion they have demonstrated current form that gives confidence in their ability to fulfil the Performance Objectives of the Championships. This will involve an assessment of the athlete’s performances and performance consistency during the 2025 outdoor season”.

Currently, he does not have the standard or a World Ranking position. That means he cannot be selected. However, he has until 24 August to get either. With a season’s best of 1:46.08 (at the time of writing), he is the sixteenth fastest Brit this outdoor season. Only the Selection Panel can decide if he has met the policy requirements.

Photo: James Rhodes

What does this mean? If Ben meets the above, there are only two spots available. If he meets the above and is not in the top two at the trials, it is top-two-or-bust for the rest of the field.

Five are due to compete who have run inside the World Athletics standard of 1:44.50 during the qualifying window. Five does not go into three (or possibly two).

They are led by Max Burgin, following his 1:42.36 PB at the London Diamond League. Callum Dodds, Ethan Hussey and Henry Jonas have also joined the list this week. Callum did so thanks to a good run in Brescia (1:44.50), hitting the standard exactly. Ethan and Henry did so at the London Diamond League (1:44.30) and the European U23 Championships (1:44.10) respectively. They, alongside Justin Davies – who ran 1:44.35 in Belfast in May and won silver at the recent European U23 Championships – are all due to race.

Elliot Giles has the standard also but is contesting the 1500m in Birmingham.

As so many have the World Athletics standard, there is no opportunity for the UKA standard to come into play. Alex Botterill and Tiarnan Crorken are racing this weekend and have the UKA standard, with Alex currently in a World Rankings position. However, he’ll need to get inside 1:44.50 to have any chance of being selected.

Other notable entrants include Tolko Olympians Daniel Rowden and Oliver Dustin, Kyle Langford, Reece Sharman-Newell and Tom Randolph.

Photo: James Rhodes

Men’s 1500m

Men’s 1500m

WA Q: 3:33.00

Josh Kerr (n/c), George Mills (n/c), Neil Gourley, Elliot Giles, Jake Wightman, Adam Fogg

UKA Q: 3:34.90

Henry McLuckie*

*: not within World Ranking quota at the time of writing

As reigning World Champion, Josh Kerr has a wildcard for Tokyo. This means two things. Firstly, Great Britain can take four men in the 1500m – an added bonus in a highly competitive event. Secondly, since he is not required to contest his preferred event, Josh will race over 5000m this weekend. His absence over 3.75 laps has no material impact on the selection of others.

That means there are three spots to fill, with two going to the top two this weekend. That assumes the top two have the standard but, given the quality of those racing, that seems a likely scenario.

Ordinarily, the third spot would likely go to the third-place finisher in instances like this. That might still happen – but of course it can’t be that easy. One curveball comes from George Mills, who fractured his wrist when falling at the London Diamond League and will not compete this weekend. One has to assume there is a high probability of him being given the discretionary third spot, off the back of his 3:28.36 in Paris last month.

That leaves four to (likely) go into two. They are Jake Wightman, Neil Gourley, Elliot Giles and Adam Fogg. All are racing this weekend, and there is no clear favourite. Elliot has the fastest time of the four this season, with 3:31.13 at the Rome Diamond League in June. Jake, however, ran 3:31.58 at the London Diamond League less than a fortnight ago (where Giles ran 3:32.51 and Gourley 3:33.69).

Photo: James Rhodes

Adam ran a 3:49.85 mile during the indoor season which gave him the qualifying standard. He has however not looked in that shape so far this outdoor season, with a best of 3:35.24. Also due to race are Tom Bridger, Tom Keen, Archie Davis and Sam Charig, who have all set lifetime bests this season.

Men’s 5000m

WA Q: 13:01.00

George Mills (n/c)

UKA Q: 13:10.50

Scott Beattie*

*: not within World Ranking quota at the time of writing

George Mills has said he wants to double in the 1500m and 5000m at the World Championships. As noted above he will not be racing this weekend but, as the sole athlete with the qualifying standard, he is all but guaranteed selection. That is of course subject to recovering fully from his fractured wrist.

Scott Beattie is the only athlete with the UKA standard, but he would need a considerable boost to his World Ranking to reach the quota for an invite.

Notwithstanding, an exciting race is set to unfold with Josh Kerr stepping up in distance. The 1500m World Champion has a PB of 13:23.78, set in 2021, and last raced the distance in 2023. He’ll be joined by the likes of Will Barnicoat, fresh from success at the European U23 Championships, Rory Leonard, James West, England Champion Jack Kavanagh and Charles and George Wheeler.

Women’s 800m

WA Q: 1:59.00

Keely Hodgkinson (n/c), Jemma Reekie, Georgia Hunter Bell, Phoebe Gill (n/c), Katie Snowden (n/c)

UKA Q: 1:59.25

N/A

Two laps, plenty of intrigue. Will we see Keely in Tokyo? What event(s) will Georgia do? Let’s try and break things down. There’s five with the standard, but only two are competing for spots this weekend. Phoebe Gill has announced she will not compete this season as she continues her recovery from a stress fracture, whilst Katie Snowden is focusing on the 1500m.

Olympic Champion Keely Hodgkinson does not compete this weekend, as she continues her long-term recovery from injury. Similar to Ben Pattison, she is guaranteed selection subject to demonstrating current form. She has the standard (and assumedly a medical exemption for this weekend) and has three weeks to show the panel her form.

She is due to race at the Lausanne Diamond League on 20 August. Social media videos show her training in spikes, which is encouraging, but it will be over a year since her last race (the Olympic final). One presumes any decision about a trip to Tokyo will come after that race in Switzerland.

Back to this weekend. Keely’s training partner Georgia Hunter Bell is the fastest athlete over 800m this year. She is (at the time of writing) entered for both the 800m and 1500m, but is expected to compete over two laps in Birmingham. The benefit of being an Olympic medallist is she is guaranteed selection in the 1500m if she wants it. Therefore, she might as well tick off automatic qualifying in the 800m and leave her options open.

Photo: James Rhodes

Jemma Reekie just needs a top-two finish to guarantee selection. Based on her experience and track record at the British Championships, that feels a formality. She has finished inside the top two in her last six British Championship appearances, including victory in 2021. You have to go back to 2017, eight years ago, to find her not on the podium.

Going into this weekend, no one has run inside the UKA consideration standard of 1:59.25. Someone without the standard is guaranteed to finish on the podium, possibly in the top-two. They will have three weeks to chase the time.

Potential for this include Abbie Ives (1:59.49 this season), Issy Boffey (2:00.05) and Grace Vans Agnew (2:00.45).

Women’s 1500m

WA Q: 4:01.50

Georgia Hunter Bell (n/c), Laura Muir, Revee Walcott-Nolan, Katie Snowden, Jemma Reekie (n/c), Melissa Courtney-Bryant (n/c)

UKA Q: 4:02.90

Erin Wallace

We get to an event that is relatively straightforward in terms of Tokyo qualification! As an Olympic medallist, Georgia Hunter Bell – who is racing over 800m this weekend – is guaranteed selection if she wants it.

If she does, it leaves two spots on the team up for grabs. Three athletes will compete this weekend holding the standard; Laura Muir, Revee Walcott-Nolan and Katie Snowden. Assuming the top-two on Sunday come from these trio, it is simple – they will be automatically selected.

As things stand, if Georgia chooses to race the 800m only in Tokyo, the third 1500m spot would go to whichever of Revee, Laura and Katie has not been automatically selected.

Photo: James Rhodes

The possible complication depends on how Erin Wallace runs this weekend. With a PB of 4:02.74, she is inside the UKA consideration standard and is inside the World Ranking quota. However, the British Athletics selection policy is clear that WA Q trumps UKA Q. So, she would have three weeks to chase 4:01.50 or lower if she wants to get on the plane to Tokyo.

Recent World University Games medallist Sarah Calvert, Shannon Flockhart, Eleanor Strevens and Ava Lloyd are also due to race this weekend.

Women’s 5000m

WA Q: 14:50.00

Hannah Nuttall, Innes FitzGerald, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Megan Keith (n/c)

UKA Q: 14:57.50

Calli Hauger-Thackery* (n/c)

A fortnight ago, the London Diamond League played host to a special 5000m in which Hannah Nuttall, Innes FitzGerald and Megan Keith ran inside the World Championships standard. Hannah and Innes set big PBs in the process, Innes also breaking the European U20 Record.

The trio joined Melissa Courtney Bryant in the race for Tokyo, who ran 14:48.20 in Los Angeles in May.

With the trials for the 10000m having been held in June, Megan Keith is already guaranteed selection over 25 laps. She is no longer on the entry list for the 5000m and one assumes is focusing only on the longer distance.

Photo: James Rhodes

It makes the qualifying picture in the 5000m much simpler, the three left with the standard will be selected, unless there is a significant upset coming.

Also due to race this weekend are Phoebe Anderson, Paris Olympic marathoner Clara Evans-Graham, Alex Millard and Eloise Walker.

The post British Championships & Tokyo Qualifying Preview appeared first on Fast Running.

The past fortnight has been quite an exciting one for Justin Davies. At the start of February, he had raced just one indoor 800m this year. Since then, a maiden British Indoor Championships title, a British U23 Record and an unexpected goal ticked off. A spot at the European Indoor Championships and his track debut representing Great Britain on an international stage.

Justin opened his year with 1:46.94 at the Miting Catalunya in Sabadell in early January. It was his fastest ever time indoors, and only the start of things to come. It is fair to say it has exceeded all expectations he had for this winter.

“It’s totally surreal being in this situation, because it was completely unexpected. It’s just fantastic! I think I would have been very happy with a 1:46-mid indoors. My season opener was good, and my coach said, right, we’re going to try and aim for this time. The European Indoor standard. Just give it a shot“.

Birmingham Brilliance

His next race was the Keely Klassic. Justin’s first time stepping onto this track since winning bronze at last year’s British Indoor Championships. It was a race to remember, victory in 1:45.78. The European Indoor standard – 1:46.40 – the target for the year was well and truly secured. It took a while for to sink in.

“The race went really well. I saw the time and I thought ‘oh my god, this is amazing!’. It sunk in later that evening, it did take a good minute for me to unpack it all.

It was a good event for it. I found it almost got me used to the crowd a week out from the British Championships. At last year’s British Championships, you can see on the footage, I was absolutely terrified. I feel like the Keely Klassic was really good for getting me used to that number of people. It helped make the British Championships, not easier, but more manageable especially in terms of handling my nerves”.

Furthermore, as well as a British U23 Record, 1:45.78 is the fastest by a British athlete indoors in three years. That fact was one that Justin was not aware of, and adds to his optimism for what might come in the future.

“That’s fantastic! I don’t really know what to say to that.

It makes me feel quite optimistic about the summer. My PB is just under half a second faster. On a nice outdoor track, a completely still day, a nice train. We’ll see what happens”.

Photo: James Rhodes

Maiden Title

One week later, a return to the Utilita Arena for the British Indoor Championships. The assignment was simple. With the qualifying time in his hand, a top-two finish was all that was needed to secure a spot in Apeldoorn. That might sound easier on paper than in reality. A particularly tough qualifying process from five heats saw only the first finisher progress.

“There was definitely a lot of pressure. I was talking to Jack Higgins, and I think we were both more nervous for the heats. There was no room for error.

For the final, I knew I just had to finish in the top two. That’s all I could think about to be honest. I had faith that I could kick on from 300m and not let anyone pass me. It went really well, the gamble paid off!”.

In the space of less than two minutes of racing, the latter half of which were particularly eventful for those behind Justin, his fate was decided. British Indoor Champion. Two spots higher on the podium than the year before. A Great Britain track debut was on its way.

“I was happy, but compared to last year where it was really energetic happiness, it was more just a relief. A satisfaction that it was done, it was finished. That was the overwhelming emotion”.

Europe Bound

Now, it is less than one week until Justin takes to the track once again. It is the culmination of the season, which he describes well.

“It was almost like going up a ladder, each time I wasn’t expecting to make the next rung. I’m feeling good. Training is going well, last weekend was a nice confidence booster. I’m optimistic and can’t wait!”.

Whilst he has represented Great Britain at the World University Cross Country Championships, this is something new. Justin’s biggest goal is to learn from the experience. Many of those learning experiences are unknown at present, as they are brand new. For example, pre-race protocols for a competition of this level, how it feels to be part of a team.

Learning from the experience is not the only objective, however.

“My biggest goal is to just learn, to see what it’s like to be at this level. It’ll be a completely different experience. I think there’s going to be a lot of things which I don’t know right now, but I’m going to be so grateful for learning having done it. I just can’t say what they are yet.

To learn, obviously to give it my all and to make sure I leave it all out on the track. I would love to make the final, it would make my year if I made the final. Navigate the rounds as best I can and see what happens”.

Photo: James Rhodes

Racing Companions

He will go travel to Apeldoorn and race alongside Jack Higgins, who too is making his Great Britain debut. They will be joined by Tom Randolph and Justin is looking forward to racing with them both – and others.

“I’m really grateful Tom and Jack are there. Jack and I are going to have very similar experiences. They’re really nice guys, it’s a good team”.

Amongst those Justin would like an opportunity to race are Spaniard Elvin Canales, fastest in the field this year, and Dutchman Samuel Chapple. The former he raced in his season opener in Sabadell, the latter only 0.3 seconds faster.

“In my season opener, he [Canales] gapped the rest of the field quite significantly. I’d love an opportunity to go up against him again. There’s also Samuel Chapple from the Netherlands, who ran at the Keely Klassic.

He’s just ahead of me on the rankings and I keep seeing him on Instagram. I really want to see what happens, I haven’t raced against him before. It probably wouldn’t end too well for me, but I still want to give it a shot”.

Photo: James Rhodes

Future Goals

There is plenty to look forward to beforehand, but the outdoor season is not far around the corner. Amongst Justin’s goals are to get some more experience of racing internationally and improving his PB as far as possible. Depending on how well the latter goes, one eye is naturally on the World Championships qualifying time of 1:44.50.

“My first goal has to be the European U23 Championships. It’s my last year in that age group so I want to give it my best shot. Hopefully I do make the team there. It’s in Bergen and I’ve always wanted to go to Norway, so this would be a great excuse!

Then, the goal would be shifting and maybe looking at the World Championships time. It’s 1:44.50, which is so fast, but I feel I’ve got to stay optimistic. Ideally I can get in the right race and try and aim for that time”.

It will be an exciting year, starting with this weekend in the Netherlands.

Justin is joined by Jack Higgins and Tom Randolph in the men’s 800m at the European Indoor Championships. The heats take place at 10:05 (UK time) on Friday, the semi-finals at 19:13 (UK time) on Saturday and the final at 16:27 (UK time) on Sunday.

The post A Surreal Fortnight – Justin Davies’ Indoor Season appeared first on Fast Running.

Not many people can say they have an Olympic medallist as a training partner. Ava Lloyd can go one better; she has two. The 19-year-old is part of the M11 Track Club, coached by Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows. The lineup of athletes is small but mighty; Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell amongst them.

It was at the meeting named after the former, in a race won by the latter, that Ava set an indoor PB that has helped dictate her next race. A senior Great Britain debut at the European Indoor Championships.

With less than a week both until she races and since she found out she was on the team, excitement levels are high.

“I’m quite excited, I haven’t really had a lot of time to process it. There’s just nothing to lose, really, so I’m just excited. I am nervous too, but the excitement is outweighing that at the moment!”

Birmingham, Twice, & A Surprise Call

One of the many benefits of having Keely Hodgkinson as a training partner was a lane at the Keely Klassic. Ava finished third, setting a big indoor best of 4:12.59. It was an opportunity she relished.

“As our group is quite large, I don’t get many opportunities to race where there’s a lot of the group there, plus Jenny and Trevor. It was such a good atmosphere and one I really enjoyed. At my level it’s hard to find decent 1500m races indoors. The season is so short and there are so many athletes. You don’t get many opportunities like that.

It was kind of two separate races in the race, which was certainly interesting. I think I made the most out of the event. My training has been indicating towards that form, ideally I would have actually liked to run slightly faster”.

Photo: James Rhodes

After finishing fifth in the 1500m at the British Indoor Championships, Ava had concluded that was the end of her indoor season. There was a twist in that story, however – in part started by a tweet by the person writing this. A simple list of the assumed team selection, before it was announced. It included Ava’s name.

“I had no idea that I was still in contention after the British Championships. The day after the final, I was putting a post on Instagram and I almost captioned it ‘see you outdoors’. I didn’t, because I thought Trevor would suggest me doing a 3000m.

I then saw your tweet and wondered why my name was on there. So I had a check of the rankings and saw that I was qualified! I didn’t even realise my name would be in those kinds of conversations, it was a bit surreal. An hour later, I got the call!”.

Valuable Experience

Ava is no stranger to a Great Britain team at junior level. Her debut came at the European U20 Championships held in Jerusalem in 2023. Last summer she competed at the World U20 Championships in Lima, finishing fifth in the 1500m. There are valuable lessons and experiences she has taken from both that will be carried to Apeldoorn.

“I’ve grown a lot as an athlete since the first time I was selected for a championships for Great Britain. My debut was as a junior in Jerusalem, and I went into that just being really happy for the opportunity, for just being selected. I ended up disappointed in my performance, and since then I have progressed as an athlete.

 I’ve gone from being overwhelmed at my first Great Britain experience in Jerusalem to then racing in Lima. I was very comfortable that I would make the final and then it was just about my performance in the final. I hope to carry on that progression and being confident in my own ability, in wearing that vest no matter if it’s a junior or a senior event.

Even though I have got nothing to lose [in Apeldoorn], and it’s exciting this being my senior debut, my main aim is still to be as competitive as I can be. I’ll take the same level of confidence from the junior competitions into the senior competitions, there will be a slightly different feel. I’m really excited to experience a senior team environment. I want to make the most of it, being selected with those girls is super exciting”.

Photo: James Rhodes

Familiar Faces

Apeldoorn may be a senior debut and a new experience, but the faces won’t be. Especially Georgia Hunter Bell, one of Ava’s training partners, who will also contest the 1500m. Confidence naturally grows when the fastest in the field is someone so familiar.

“It’s pretty crazy to be honest. When I look at the line up, day-to-day I’m training with the higher end of the field that I will be running against. It’s so nice to have that support from the team, but also when you get down to racing it helps not to be intimidated. Those racing are just the calibre of athletes I am training with regularly.

All the British Championships that I’ve ever done with Georgia, we’ve always been in the same heat. I think we’ll probably be in different heats this time, but her being there is an extra confidence boost”.

Fellow M11 teammates Erin Wallace and Annemarie Nissen compete in the 800m, and Sarah Healy the 3000m. With the final of the 1500m taking place on the second of four days, there is opportunity for some spectating. As a fan of the sport, Sarah’s race is one Ava is particularly looking forward to watching. It also features friend Innes FitzGerald, also making her senior debut.

“I’ve always been quite a big fan of the sport. It’s super weird going from watching these athletes on TV, transitioning into being an out-and-out competitor. I’m really excited to experience that.

I think the 3000m races will be quite interesting. In the women’s is Sarah, and I’m really good friends with Innes [FitzGerald]. It’ll be exciting to see how they both get on. I’m super excited that both Innes and I got selected. I first met her properly in Peru and we got on really well. It’s really cool!”.

Photo: James Rhodes

Looking Forward

The European Indoor Championships will mark the end of Ava’s indoor season. Before long, focus will shift to the goals for outdoors. This season is her first in the U23 age group. Notably, the European U23 Championships take place in Bergen (Norway) in July.

“I can’t count myself out of anything. There was talk of qualifying for the European Indoors back at the beginning of winter training, but it wasn’t something that I really expected.

At the moment for outdoors, the focus will be on the European U23 Championships and performing well. I made the final in Peru and hopefully will continue building on those performances. I’m of course not discounting any senior opportunities that come along!”.

Ava is joined by Georgia Hunter-Bell and Revee Walcott-Nolan in the women’s 1500m at the European Indoor Championships. The heats take place at 18:10 (UK time) on Thursday and the final at 20:00 (UK time) on Friday.

The post A Senior Debut – Ava Lloyd’s Indoor Season appeared first on Fast Running.