Hull to defend Australian 3000m title at Chemist Warehouse Sydney Track Classic

Off the back of a spectacular fourth-place finish and Australian record at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, Olympic finalist Jessica Hull will now turn her attention to defending her national 3000m title at the Chemist Warehouse Sydney Track Classic on Saturday, March 23.

Announced with just two weeks to go until the World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meet, the Albion product will go head-to-head with the country’s finest middle-distance runners, with an all-star cast locked in for the clash.

Hull (Simon Hull) will toe the line at ES Marks Athletics Field, with three national records to her name this year, including the indoor mile and two consecutive 3000m races on a short track in the USA and Europe, with her 8:24.39 best giving her confidence for the challenge ahead.

“I’m so excited to race in Sydney. It’s the only chance I’ll get to run a 3000m at home and one of the only times I’ll race in Sydney before Paris,” Hull said.

“Last year, racing the 3000m at home made such a big difference to my campaign. I had my family out there making the trip up to Sydney to watch me and that just spurred me on the whole time. It was a highlight of my season for sure.”

Though the 27-year-old may be the favourite to win, Olympic 5000m duo Rose Davies (Scott Westcott) and Isobel Batt-Doyle (Nic Bideau) are on the rise, with the pair becoming the fourth and fifth Australian women to dip under the 15-minute barrier in the 5000m at the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne.

While the 3000m is not featured on the Olympic program, the significance of the race cannot be overstated for Australia’s middle distance ranks. The world ranking points available from the race contribute to rankings for the 5000m in Paris – making these Championships not just a battle for pride but a strategic step for athletes aiming for selection.

“It’s a national championships, so the goal is to add another medal to the collection, but with Izzy (Batt-Doyle) and Rose (Davies) running, there is a lot more on the line so it will be a really great race for me to run this year,” Hull said.

At the 2023 edition, Hull was phenomenal. After receiving pacing help to 1000m, she ran solo to finish the win by 20 seconds in 8:36.03 – an Australian record at the time and the fastest time on Australian soil in 33 years.

“Last year it was cool to have such a loud crowd at Sydney Olympic Park. ES Marks has spectators even closer to us on the track, so we’ll hear them even louder and that will make it so awesome.”

Four more Tokyo Olympians add credentials to the field with three-time Olympian Genevieve Gregson (Nic Bideau), Australian 1500m record holder Linden Hall (Ned Brophy-Williams), Georgia Griffith (Nic Bideau) and Jenny Blundell (James Fitzgerald) racing for national glory, while World Championships representatives Cara Feain-Ryan (Ben Norton), Natalie Rule (Tim O'Shaughnessy) and the recently selected World Athletics Cross Country representatives Melissa Duncan (self-coached) and Amy Bunnage (J.J Clark) add further class to the field.

The Chemist Warehouse Sydney Track Classic will take place at ES Marks Athletics Field on March 23 from 4pm AEDT, with tickets available to purchase HERE.

The meet is part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series and will be streamed live and free on 7plus.

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia and David Tarbotton, Athletics NSW
Posted: 9/3/2024