We communicate to the world 800m medallist about constructing work and bouncing again from harm
After an unsure begin to the 12 months, the onerous work has paid off for Ben Pattison. Following knee and quad ache throughout winter coaching stints in each Flagstaff and Potchefstroom, the 2023 world 800m bronze medallist suffered a stress fracture in his femur, leading to him being in crutches for a fortnight.
However, such was his enthusiasm to get again to full health that, on prime of aqua jogging, biking and cross-training, the 28-year-old constructed a log cabin in his Loughborough again backyard when he was injured.
“That’s now my new house set-up,” he says, reflecting on a tricky interval. “I acquired a cross-trainer from eBay for about £150. I’ve acquired a Zwift bike in there and a treadmill as effectively. My mother and father got here up and helped me construct it.
“It was fairly a hectic two weeks establishing it however you must put money into your self. So I assumed: ‘I’ll get this carried out’. It’s genuinely been life-changing and it simply implies that I can cease when one thing hurts, whereas if I had ache out and about I’d should run or stroll house. If that’s three miles away, for instance, then it’s extra problematic.”
Pattison opened up his 2025 season with a time of 1:47.09 over 800m at Assembly Stanislas Nancy in France on July 4, earlier than he decreased his season’s greatest to 1:46.08 on the London Diamond League.
He undertook his largest coaching week since December within the speedy build-up to London and, after operating 1:46.82 within the heats on the UK Athletics Championships a few weeks later, felt like he was again to his previous self.
A irritating remaining adopted, nonetheless – Pattison clocked simply 1:51.58 for ninth in Birmingham. Placing that efficiency right down to “intestine points”, he knew he’d subsequently have to supply an announcement run on the circuit to be in with a shot of choice for the World Athletics Championships.
Then got here Budapest. On the identical observe that he secured world bronze two years in the past, Pattison ran 1:44.14, a mark that was not solely below the automated qualification commonplace for Tokyo [1:44.50] but additionally the third quickest by a Brit this season [after Max Burgin and Henry Jonas].
“I stated to myself: ‘Simply don’t hand over’,” Pattison says. “I gave it completely all the pieces within the final 200m. It was such a reduction. Earlier than, everybody had written me off and rightly so – I hadn’t carried out something ok to warrant choice.”
Pattison then backed up his time in Budapest with a dramatic win over Jake Wightman within the 800m on the British Milers’ Membership assembly in Tooting Bec. Only one hundredth of a second separated the pair as they clocked 1:45.07 and 1:45.08 respectively.
“I ticked off the time in Budapest however I then wanted to point out the selectors that I might beat these calibre of fellows,” Pattison says. “Once I noticed Jake had entered I assumed: ‘If I beat him that’s a great signal’.”
“I do know I’ve all the time been capable of race effectively. I’ve simply learnt to benefit from the second and take the alternatives.”
Pattison will now get the possibility to face on a worldwide podium as soon as once more, becoming a member of Burgin and Tiarnan Crorken in Tokyo.
Given Pattison’s greatest is 1:42.27 – second to solely Seb Coe on the UK 800m all-time listing – write him off at your peril within the Japanese capital.
“I prepare to compete on the world stage and I’ve been there earlier than, so I do know what it takes. One in all my foremost targets this 12 months was to truly break the British file [1:41.73]. Perhaps that may occur subsequent season however there are going to be some very fast races in Tokyo.”
For those who might select one individual to coach/compete with, previous of current, who would it not be and why?: I feel my ideally suited coaching associate could be Marco Arop. He’s such a pleasant man and we get alongside effectively. He could be nice for the windy days as I might simply sit in behind him. He additionally likes to take races on and I feel that will be ideally suited for me. I’m unsure he’d be too completely satisfied about it, although, if I simply sat on his shoulder on a regular basis!
