Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson has revealed her ambition to smash three of athletics’ greatest obstacles by going sub-50 for 400m and sub-four for 1500m so as to add to her world-class 800m profession.
From Roger Bannister’s sub-four-minute mile to Sabastian Sawe’s sub-two-hour marathon, athletes are drawn to round-numbered obstacles. Even membership runners are enticed by challenges akin to three hours for the marathon or 20 minutes for 5km.
Keely Hodgkinson shouldn’t be immune both. “Wouldn’t or not it’s actually cool to do a sub-50, sub-2min and sub-4min in my profession?” she says, referring to 400m, 800m and 1500m targets.
“It could be a very good total purpose to have. Breaking 50 shall be exhausting and I’ve not even run a 1500m since I used to be 16 however it is going to be a pleasant problem.”
Hodgkinson’s greatest for 400m is 51.49 from the current indoor season though she clocked a 50.10 relay cut up on the World Indoor Championships in Poland this yr.
Within the 800m she is in fact simply inside two minutes already with a British report of 1:54.61 set on the London Diamond League in 2024.
At 1500m her greatest is a modest 4:29.05 however she ran this in 2018 after simply turning 16 and hasn’t tackled the gap since.
“It’s a current concept as I’ve solely been in a position to put in correct 400m coaching just lately,” she added, after an injury-hit 2025 season.
What would be the hardest barrier to interrupt? „I believe breaking 50 seconds shall be tougher however I’m unsure. I’d want to talk to Georgia (Hunter Bell). She retains asking me after I’m going to run a 1500m.
“I believe the one individual to do that is Caster Semenya (49.62, 1:54.25 and three:59.92) so it’d be actually cool to finish my profession having achieved all that.”
Hodgkinson was talking with 50 days to go earlier than the 2026 Diamond League in London – also referred to as the Novuna London Athletics Meet – the place she is going to race the 800m.
One other certainly one of her targets is Jarmila Kratochvilova’s long-standing world report of 1:53.28 though in distinction to Josh Kerr’s daring public ambition to interrupt the world mile report on the assembly, she is uncertain at this stage whether or not she is going to totally decide to breaking Kratochvilova’s mark on July 18 on the London Stadium.
“Clearly I’d like to have that occur on dwelling soil,” she says. “As a British individual competing there it’s a lot enjoyable and the primary factor I’m trying ahead to this summer season.
“We could have a plan A of what we’d prefer to occur however generally the game has its personal plans. I would come into form the place I can have a go at it sooner, or perhaps it is likely to be later within the season. Proper now my preparation has gone very effectively and I’m very comfortable. I’ve been wholesome for a yr now which is actually enjoyable and I’ve not missed a coaching session, so I’m in a very good place.”
Hodgkinson says she is viewing the 2026 summer season as a season of two halves. “The primary half are the Diamond Leagues like London and the second half brings all of the championships.”
She is unlikely to run within the Commonwealth Video games in Glasgow however she is eager to defend her 800m title on the European Championships in Birmingham, which brings us to a different goal.
She says: “I’ve acquired 4 European titles now – two indoors and two open air – and certainly one of my little targets is to interrupt Laura Muir’s variety of European titles. I believe she has about seven (two open air, 5 indoors), which is loopy.”
Firstly, Hodgkinson will race 400m on the Rome Diamond League subsequent Thursday (June 4) earlier than an 800m within the Stockholm. “The 400m is a little bit of enjoyable and one thing completely different,” she says.
“The road up is loopy in Rome so I’m actually throwing myself within the deep finish there. It’s fairly good to place myself able the place on paper I’m most likely getting in slowest and up in opposition to ladies who’re world finalists and medallists within the occasion.
“I’ve all the time thought of myself a 400/800m athlete and I don’t assume I’ve proven my potential within the 400m though I had a little bit of a glimpse of what I might do in the course of the indoor season. If I can carry that 400m time then it is going to make the primary lap of an 800m really feel good.”
Not as good as profitable in London, although. “Racing within the Diamond League on dwelling soil might be the factor I’m trying ahead to probably the most this summer season,” she says.
