UK 1500m - State of Play

[jjimbojames]

I’d like to see him stick with the 800m for a few years yet. The 1500m races at BUCS are good strength work for the natural 400m runner, but I suspect he has unfinished business with the 800m and can get into the 1.43s this season

[Loop-guru]

I think you are right Jimbo but I do feel he will make the move at some point, maybe not this year though & I agree he has 1:43 potential.

[Loop-guru]

I thought it was worth bumping up this thread for the re-emergance of Sarah McDonald who clocked 2:04:24 and won the race at last nights BMC 800M. Her focus will be qualification for the Worlds where previously she finished 9th in the semis at the Worlds in 2017 and 6th in the semis at the worlds in 2019 so seemed on the way to progressing into finals at the world / olympic level before her injury woes took hold. I know she wants to get the Paris Olympics so hopefully this season can be a stepping stone towards that goal.

[MysteryBrick]

13:11 for Neil Gourley today. It's very much not an exaggeration to say there are very few 1500m runners who can run 1:44 for 800m and 13:11 for 1500m. He could have quite a special summer.

[MysteryBrick]

3:33 for George Mills, so I estimate that by the time UK Champs roll around you'll have the following with the standard (ignoring Wightman who has a bye as World Champion):
Josh Kerr
Neil Gourley
Jake Heyward
George Mills
Matthew Stonier

With another couple like Ethan Hussey, Piers Copeland, Elliott Giles maybe not having the standard but acting as spoilers.

Going to be a right bunfight!

[carterhatch]

Indeed the 3:33.16 takes George Mills to 16th on the all time list. One behind the legend that is Peter Elliott and one ahead of Steve Crabb, who I have fond memories of seeing run up-and-down the Great Cambridge Road many, many years ago [and who will appreciate the provenance of my username...]

[carterhatch]

Katie Snowden's recent flirtation with sub-4mins for 1500 adds to a very distinguished list ... 5 very talented ladies who are all currently 'active' have run 4:00 and bits, that final fraction of a second proving very elusive for Ms. McColgan, Reekie, Macdonald & Weightman.

I fear that a combination of injury, illness and time may prevent some, if not all, from achieveing this benchmark...

It is such a matter of tiny margins. Only 5 British women have gone sub-4 mins for 1500, ever, three of whom by less than the same fraction of a second the above mentioned seek... it's a tiny time gap but a huge pyschological difference.

[carterhatch]

Just tidying up a result in the Womens 1500M last night in Huelva. Revee Walcot-Nolan came in 3rd in 4:09:52 and Erin Wallace 5th in 4:10:52. Conditions not ideal and the pack let the pacemaker go leading to a burn-up on the last lap. I thought they were on course for 4:14 or 4:15 so Revee and Erin both have decent finishes off a slower pace. I think boith could be hitting 4:05 / 4:06 fairly soon.

With Sarah Mcdonald finding employment recently as a pacemaker, and noting my post above [#35] which highlights how close one or two runners are to breaking 4 mins for 1500 ...

Wouldn't it be a great opportunity for all the ladies to come together for a race on UK turf [possibly London DL outside of any pressure to 'qualify'] with the aim for the front runners to break that elusive barrier, and others get big PBs ... maybe Muir asked to take the pace on from 1000m to lead the others around, Snowden in close order, Reekie returning to form, and Courtney-Bryant & Ellie Baker vying for that 3rd berth for Budapest, plus the two mentioned by Loop-guru ... it would be a great advert for the state of play of Women's middle distance running in this country...

[carterhatch]

The UK women’s 1500 is building towards a very tense affair at the trials and all because of the stellar talent that is Keely Hodgkinson.

Yes, I know the Pride of Leigh is not running 1500, but because of her almost guaranteed spot in Team GB at her chosen event, others have to make a tough decision; do they race for the, effectively, two spots, finishing first or second in the 800 or do they challenge for the 1500; but of course, Laura Muir presents the same issue, as she is also, almost guaranteed a spot on the team…

Reekie is showing some return to more like her best and is a very strong candidate, if able to navigate the vagaries of trials. So effectively is that one spot left at 800? I think some have made that calculation before this season [Tracey changing allegiance, Mcdonald, pacemaker for hire].

The likes of Baker, Wallace, Reeve-Walcott are dabbling in both distances, revising PBs, trying to figure out which distance will offer the best return, as doubling –up at trials is unrealistic.

Snowden has run a much faster 1500 than other contenders but it only takes a stumble here, a baulk there, allowing a slow race, so it notoriously comes down to a last bend burn-up, and ambitions for a season are ended. Indeed as I write this I note she is DNS at the Oslo DL.

Others will also be aiming to figure, among these, might Courtney-Bryant & Nuttall choose the 5000 instead?

I think it fair to say that outside of Muir and Hodgkinson medals at this Worlds are unlikely for whoever makes the team [though I hope that Reekie can prove me wrong in her career] but I gain enjoyment when a British athlete achieves other milestones. Making Team GB is one such milestone in a very competitive event. The w1500 at trials should be a compelling watch with, no doubt, tears of triumph and travesty…

[LuckySpikes]

I don't think Sarah McDonald has switched to mostly pacemaking. My sense is that she's just doing 1 or 2 whilst she's on the comeback trail.

[carterhatch]

I don't disagree, Luckyspikes In my effort for brevity I was trying to imply Ms. McDonald might be using the opportunities for pace-making 800s to sharpen-up for an an assault on the 1500...[ps. keep-up the super work you do here on the forum]

[carterhatch]

The Lausanne Diamond League 1500 included several British runners, though not as many as had been first announced.

...Good SB run from Kerr, great PB from Giles, solid from Gourley, though he'll probably be disappointed that he didn't react quicker to the break made just before the bell and he ended up in no-man's land as a result.

3 Brits sub 3:33 in the same race. Nice!

The PB by Giles [3.31.56] moves him to 10th on the UK ‘All Time’ list which now features 6 ‘active’ athletes [7 at a stretch if you include Sir Mo].

It is a blessing that Wightman has a direct entry to Budapest, as World Champion, as he is yet to start his campaign and the 1500, even without him, is going to be very competitive at trials, with at least 5 others currently having the QT.

Giles is down on the entry lists for both 800 & 1500 and his run at Lausanne might serve him very well as a reminder to selectors should he not finish in the first two in either distance at trials.

The permutations are endless with the likes of George Mills and Stonier sure to feature somehow, Kerr cannot be complacent and for all his indoor efforts, Gourley could be vulnerable on the day to the infamous ‘tactical’ championship final. Outside of those holding the QT there is bound to be one or two other athletes determined to give the selectors a further headache and keep forum users guessing…

[carterhatch]

Melissa Courtney-Bryant with 3:58.01 [according to Ian Hodge a new Welsh 1500m rec] and Jemma Reekie 3:58.65 to go third and fourth on the UK 'All Time' list [at the Silesia DL]. Both have had their injury and illness issues over the past couple of seasons so a great achievement, ladies.

I suspect it wont be long before Katie Snowden joins the sub4 club too...

[MR_ME]

When Melissa CB beat Laura Muir last week many of us assumed something was going wrong for Laura. But could it just be that MCB was in fantastic shape? Being beaten by a 3.58 runner isn't that shameful.

[jjimbojames]

Good point. I think Laura will realise that the tactics of previous years won’t work against runners who are five seconds quicker than before. She seemed OK against Kipyegon and over 800m, which would suggests tactics, rather than fitness, were the issue

[philipo]

Pardon poster. No Wightman this year due to injury. Read his statement.The standard of world 1500m is hotter than ever.Any of 10 guys could follow on behind JI. Depends on the day and the athletes positioning down the homestraight.

[philipo]

I do not see a medal for Muir this year.

[MysteryBrick]

Inclined to agree. The Ethiopians are *VERY* good, and there are a number of others who can kick super well. Does depend on the style of the race and who else has the guts to go with it if it is fast.

[Occasional Hope]

She doesn't seem quite herself this year, and others are stepping up.

[MR_ME]

Nice analysis of why we shouldn't put the gold medal round JI's neck just yet:

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2023/07/jakob-was-magnificent-in-poland-but-remember-they-dont-run-the-1500-final-in-lanes/

[reddom]

Josh Kerr not listed as running in London DL is surprising

[MR_ME]

Yes a bit concerning really.

[marra]

Whilst I agree that it's not *great*, if you compare his 2021 schedule to this year, he's only done 1 less race than he did that year including the 3 rounds at the Olympics. And we know how that ended. So of all the athletics who could have a quiet schedule, he's one of the ones I'd worry least about.

And yes, 2021 was...an unusual year but there was still a mostly full athletics calendar.

[reddom]

Agreed he has raced enough to prove to everyone including selectors that he is on the right track for budapest, and it is entirely understandable to cut the season short to go off and prepare some more, but home diamond leagues of that quality dont come around often.

[MysteryBrick]

As of yesterday, 8 of the top 12 British men all-time are active, with only Coe, Cram, Ovett and Farah not. It's mad that even with Jake Wightman and Jake Heyward injured there are still 5 British men qualified for Budapest.