Hull reflects on her moment of 2020

Middle distance runner Jessica Hull broke four Australian records in 2020, but crossing the finish line of the 1500m at the ISTAF Meet in Berlin is a moment that is fueling her preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Just one month after becoming the fastest ever Australian female over 5000m, Hull ran a staggering 4:00.42 to place third in Berlin and more notably, to break the national 1500m record set by Linden Hall (4:00.86) just two years earlier.

With Laura Muir (GBR) flying in front, Hull battled it out with Lisa Weightman (GBR) in the final lap. Weightman crossed the finish line narrowly in front, but Hull had her sights firmly set on finishing under four minutes and securing the national record.

It was something she had thought about and played over so many in her times in her head long before she stepped onto the track that night.

“I had visualised it in my mind so many times that once I did it in the race, it felt so natural to cross the finish line and look up thinking, ‘Had I done it?’. I didn’t quite break four minutes, but I got the national record,” Hull said.

“I remember when I crossed the line after Laura Weightman, we grabbed each other. She was really gunning for under four minutes too. I think at that point I knew I had the Aussie record because when I crossed the line it was four flat and I needed to cross at 00.8, but when we didn’t, I thought, we’ve got more to come from us next year.

“I’ve always thought of myself as more of a 1500m runner, and that was the one record I really had my heart set on getting. It was by far the highlight of my season and one that I won’t forget.”

Reflecting back on the moment months later, Hull believes her success came down to a both a difference in training due to Covid-19, and her ability to be present; something she’s looking forward to taking into Tokyo this July.

“The biggest thing I had right before each of those races was a sense of calmness. I felt extremely ready,” she said.

“In Berlin, I knew I was in shape physically and I was really determined. My coach (Pete Julian) was confident in my ability to execute the races, so going to the start line I was just so incredibly ready.

“My race plan was very clear in my mind and it took out any ambiguity on the day, so once I was out there, I knew exactly what had to do.”

Hull says that while her 1500m record her moment of the season, it doesn’t take away from what it means to break the 1500m indoor record in January, the 5000m in August, or 3000m broken just weeks later.

“Through all of the training through Covid-19 when I was doing these longer, more grueling workouts, these were all the records I was working my way towards. I’d do a particular workout because it was going to lead me towards under 15 minutes in the 5000m, so I was shifting focus towards the longer events, particularly as my fitness was increasing,” she said.

“In my last month of training in Australia, I ran the 3000m in Bankstown. While running it, I had one eye on the 5km Australian record and that motivation did fuel my training through Covid-19, and I knew that if I ran that time in the 5k, then I would have been able to run the 1500m in about four minutes.”

While 2020 was a standout year for Hull, her hunger for success in 2021 is abundantly clear.

“2020 was about teaching you to stay focused on your goals even when things aren’t going perfectly around you. I think the biggest strength that came out of the year for me was learning how to really stay focused on exactly what I want and what I was trying to do and understand that there are a lot of different ways to get somewhere,” she said.

“I’m really excited for what’s to come this year. The momentum I built last year is hopefully going to continue.

“It’s good to know that what we did last year worked and the goal is now to repeat something similar, continue to PB this year, particularly running sub four minutes in the 1500m, and when the Olympics rolls around, I’ll have new goals and I want to be as ready as I can be to achieve them.”

By Sascha Ryner
Posted: 7/1/2021