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Middle-distance runner looks back on his third place in the 800m with 1:44.65 in Rieti in 2005
The previous winter, I left my previous training set-up at St Mary’s and went to Tony Lester, who was more famous as a sprints coach, and we really clicked. I worked with a lot of world-class coaches, and I would have him right at the very top, but it was definitely a shock to the system.
The first thing we did was improve my speed. I’d previously trained with the Kenyans for a few years so I had a lot of endurance, even though I didn’t run 1500m. It came from doing long runs with [form world and Commonwealth 5000m champion] Daniel Komen and [three-time world 3000m steeplechase champion] Moses Kiptanui so I had that background.
But speed’s the name of the game so Tony asked: “What do you need to do?” For a good 800m, you need to be able to go through 400m in a certain mark and another at 600m so we really worked on our speed.
I did a full indoor campaign, which was new. I’d been used to doing an indoor meeting or two just off cross country or endurance training, go and run a 1:51, and then just do a couple of races – usually the British Champs – and stop. This time, I did it all. It didn’t quite work out for me in the European indoors final, when I had an altercation going into the last 200 and came fourth, but the speed was really in the legs from February and March.
When we came to the outdoor season, I opened up at Hengelo, which I always found had a soft track and was quite windy, but I came third there and felt really comfortable. I ran 1:45 a few times after that and then the world championships in Helsinki came along.
I remember sitting in the call room ahead of the heats and nobody wanted to actually go onto the track. The rain was coming down sideways. So I said: “Right, I’m going to just go for it. I’m going to go off hard, because they’re all going to hate it.” It worked and I only got edged into second on the line.
Unfortunately, I got knocked out in the semis – in the 800m, it’s Russian roulette – but I ran 1:45 there again and then went to Zurich, where I expected to run 1:44 but clocked 1:45.35 instead.
Then it was on to Rieti which was, along with Zurich and Brussels, the best race in the world. It was originally just on a six-lane track, but then they resurfaced it to an eight-lane one. However it was almost impossible to get into because they attracted the best of the best – the likes of Wilson Kipketer – and only ever took 11 athletes in the 800m at most.
James McIlroy (Getty)
It was the race to get into. Now there are so many Diamond Leagues but back then there were probably just six big events. Brussels was usually directly after the world championships, or Zurich was either side of it.
Both of those races were basically Olympic finals or world finals with a pacemaker, so they were very high calibre, and Rieti was definitely in that same bracket.
It was very picturesque and perfect for running fast. It has the perfect altitude too, which always made for a great race. Similarly to Zurich, everybody always went out very hard. Everything clicked for me. Even in a very good field, I felt very good. Instead of trying to win it, I should have tried to sit in and I think I would have run a little bit quicker.
Wilfred Bungei won it, and he ran the world lead that year. In one way, I’m glad I tried to take him. He slowed it down on the back straight, and I was right behind him. I was like: “You know what? I’m going to go for this.”
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With about 120m to go, I came on to his shoulder, and then he just kicked again off the crown of the bend. He’d slowed it down to kick, whereas I hadn’t got that in my engine. I should have sat on him and let him tow me round. Instead, he sort of stockpiled and then kicked off the bend and I blew up a bit.
Antonio Reina, the Spanish 800m runner, passed me as well at the line, but I got my 1:44.65 which I think was the fastest time in the UK in 16 years. It was my third to last race of 2005 but it was the highlight of that year.
As told to Mark Woods
Factfile
Born: Dec 30, 1976
Events: 800m/1500m
PBs: 1:44.65/3:39.73
Honours:
2008: British Indoor Championships 1500m gold
2005: European Indoor Championships 800m fourth place; British Indoor Championships 800m gold
2004: British Indoor Championships 800m gold
2002: Commonwealth Games 800m sixth place; British Championships 800m gold; British Indoor Championships 800m gold
2000: British Championships 800m gold
1999: British Indoor Championships 400m gold
1998: European Championships 800m fourth place; British Championships 1500m gold
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