Australian middle-distance runner on why Faith Kipyegon’s approach is driving standards and creating a “special time” in women’s running
Jessica Hull recalls the moment she stood on the podium in Paris, a silver medal draped around her neck and the roar of the crowd still ringing in her ears after the 1500m final. Beside her was Faith Kipyegon, receiving her third consecutive gold in the event – hailed as the greatest middle-distance female runner of all time. For the Australian, there was a surreality to what was happening. The same athlete she had once admired from afar on her television screen was now standing right next to her.
“It was a pinch-yourself moment,” says Hull. “It’s a moment that you dream of and you try to set yourself up to be ready for it. But, when it actually happens, it’s incredibly special.
“We’re not short of role models in our sport but, having watched Faith succeed for so long and to be able to share that success with her, was amazing. When I look back at my younger self, the one who used to watch Faith winning Diamond Leagues, there’s no way she’d have believed we’d one day be standing on the same Olympic podium.”
For Hull, belief didn’t come out of nowhere. It grew gradually, through hard work and careful training. She didn’t just rely on hope – she built her confidence by putting in the miles, improving her race strategies and working on her weaknesses.
In the past year, the 28-year-old has focused on getting stronger in every part of her running, especially expanding her ability to compete across different distances. During the Grand Slam Track series, she has taken on both the 800m and 1500m, pushing herself to become what she calls a “true middle-distance runner”.
“It’s been really fun to focus on both ends,” she explains. “The 800m is not an area that I’ve been super comfortable in previously, but I’ve had to learn, to adjust, and now I’m also seeing it pay off in my 1500s.”
The work is clearly paying dividends, given her 1:58.58 800m PB in Kingston, and those advances are timely. This year, in the middle-distance world, the stakes feel higher. The pace is faster. The atmosphere is electric. The main cause of that is Kipyegon, who is now on a mission to break the four-minute mile.
“When I heard she was going for it, I thought: ‘If anyone can do it, it’s Faith,” Hull says. “But more than that, it was like… wow….
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