Issy Boffey’s Boston Breakthrough

A fortnight ago, Issy Boffey added her name to the list of people to deliver a magical performance at Boston University. With 1:57.43, she moved to eighth on the all-time list for the 800m indoors. It put her second on the British all-time list. She heads to this weekend’s British Indoor Championships full of confidence in search of her third title. Issy talked to James Rhodes about that race in Boston, what it means for the future and the prospect of two ‘home’ championships this summer.

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”.

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”.

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.