Izzi Batt-Doyle

BIOGRAPHY

The years since Tokyo have been hectic for Izzi Batt-Doyle including representing Australia on the track, road and in cross country. It has also involved embracing a new event – the gruelling marathon.

After recording the fastest debut marathon by an Australian in October 2022, she went on to clock a stunning Olympic qualifying time of 2:23.27 in the Valencia Marathon as she became the fifth fastest Aussie ever. In 2024 she strengthen her Paris Olympic selection hopes with a series of good 5000m races, and eventually in June running a 10 seconds PB time of 14:49.75 – two seconds under the Olympic standard and the fourth fastest in Australian history.

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It all started at the City-Bay Fun Run in Adelaide when she was nine-years-old, holding her step dad’s hand all the way through the 6km event. And by the time she turned 10 she was entering cross-country events, turning to the track when she was 14.

She had considered herself not at a high level, but thought accepting a US college scholarship for running might be the best way to progress. Initially she went to NCAA division 1 school St. John's University in New York, because it was a great city to live in, then transferred to University of Washington in Seattle for her second year. She made modest initial improvement in the 1500m, 3000m and steeplechase in 2015. In 2016 and 2017 she graduates to the 5000m and 10,000m and made her debut for Australia at the 2017 World University Games in the 10000m, but suffered some major injuries later in the year. In 2018 she ‘redshirted’ her eligibility due to injury, but returned to competition in 2019 and off limited training, due to another injury, she won her regional 10,000m and placed third in the NCAAs. Later in the year she was sixth in the 10,000m at the World University Games, but was again injured.

“In the span of two years in my collegiate career in the NCAA I suffered from six stress fractures in my feet,” said Batt-Doyle. “The most challenging time was my first serious bone injury in 2017 when I fractured my navicular and three metatarsals in the same foot during the NCAA Cross Country Championships. I finished the race but I was on crutches and in a boot for six weeks and didn't run for four months.”

In late 2020 her boyfriend Riley Cocks took over her coaching and her 2020/21 summer was full of highs. She ran significant PBs over 3000m, 5000m and on the road. The highlight was second at Zatopek 10,000m in 31:43.26. It was a 37 seconds PB, elevated from 21st to 10th on the Australian all-time list and only missed the Olympic standard by 18 seconds. In late May she headed to Europe where she ran an Olympic 5000m qualifier of 15:04.10. 

She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, competing in the 5000m. She placed 15th in her heat in 15:21.65 – a time that 12 months earlier would have been a 20 seconds personal best. For Izzi, her 2021 season was full of milestones, with times of 15:11, then 15:04 over 5000m, second in Zatopek with a 37 seconds PB of 31:43.26 and other best times at 1500m and 3000m.

For Tokyo Olympian Izzi Batt-Doyle, it was another strong 2022 campaign, including a second and third at the two Zatopek races held in the year, fourth in the National 5000m and a 10,000m PB of 31:40.10 in May in London. Selected for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the 10,000m and later added to the 5000m - her fourth Australian team. She was competitive in both races, placing eighth in both in excellent championship times of 15:13.53 and 32:04.52.

But there was to be event focus changes in the wind for Izzi. “From as long as I can remember, the longer the distance the better I performed and the more I enjoyed it. I always thought I would be a marathon runner one day and it just turned out that in 2022 after running the 5000m and 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games we decided that I may as well test the waters and give it a go with a short preparation.”

Less than two months after Birmingham, in October 2022 in Melbourne, Izzi made her marathon debut, clocking 2:28.10 – the fastest Australian woman ever on debut. However, she was just 10 seconds outside the 2023 world championships qualifying standard. “While there were some challenging moments, I loved the race and felt so strong coming into the MCG that I already wanted to run another one!” 

She started the year (2023) with a strong fourth place in the Australian trials for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships to be held in Bathurst in February. Selected for a home championship, the world cross country, Izzi placed an outstanding 29th. Two weeks later she clocked a half-marathon PB of 69:27 in Japan – elevating her to number nine Australia all-time. Then another two weeks on, in mid-March, she ran her second marathon, also in Japan, clocking another PB time of 2:27.54, nailing the Budapest marathon standard and was now the 11th fastest Aussie ever.

Her second marathon experience, Nagoya in March, was not as ideal as her debut as she was dealing with a chronic hamstring injury which flaring up in the weeks before with World Cross Country. Also the temperature was warmer than expected, 22 degrees and she ran solo from 29km until the finish. It indicated there was more improvement for Izzi in the future.

In June she was named in her sixth Australian team, selected to run the marathon at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. In her third career 26 miler, she clocked 2:37.53 in the extreme Budapest heat. Five weeks later she placed 14th in the half marathon at the World Road Running Championships.

Izzi closed the year with an incredible 10th place at the Valencia Marathon in a 4:27 minutes PB time of 2:23.27 – moving her to number five Australian all-time. In early 2024 Izzi raced regularly over 5000m giving herself another chance of Olympic selection in addition to the marathon. Her performances started with a five second 5000m PB of 14:59.18 in February, fourth at Nationals. But finally in Liege in Belgium in June, she makes another leap forward with a 10 seconds PB tie of 14:49.75 – two seconds under the Olympic standard and the fourth fastest in Australian history.
 

Education: Arts with Honours in Psychology (with a Minor in Nutritional Sciences) University of Washington (2016-19)...New business: In 2020 she and her then coach Riley Cocks founded a running group and coaching service RunAsOne. They now work with over 400 runners with in-person training or remote coaching. In mid-2022 they expanded their business with the opening of ‘The RunHouse’ a coffee shop with a runners twist in Norwood, SA ….Passion: Izzi is passionate about helping others to reap the physical and mental benefits of running and taking up a healthy lifestyle and especially hopes to inspire other girls and women to chase their sporting goals…Why competing?: Seeing self-improvement and having the hard work of training come to fruition. There is no better feeling than running a personal best and running faster than you've ever run before…Advice to your young self: Have fun, look after your body, be kind to yourself, and don't let anyone tell you that you can't achieve your dreams. You have plenty of years ahead of you in the sport and every challenging experience will make you a better athlete and person…Marathon career: two 2:28.10 (Melbourne 2 Oct 2022), 2:27.54 (Nagoya 12 March 2023)..Marathon V cross country “I love the longer training and the gruelling nature and unpredictability of the marathon, however I still have goals on the track and hope to continue racing across both disciplines in the coming years. Cross country is how I first really came into competitive running as a junior, however I've never felt it's quite suited to me as I prefer the rhythm of the track and roads.

@ 20 Jun 2024 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au