At the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, Keely Hodgkinson garnered attention when she broke the 800m British record and took home a silver medal at the age of just 19. By winning the Diamond League 800m series and becoming the youngest-ever European Indoor Champion over 800m, the young athlete built on her previous accomplishments. She won her first significant senior outdoor championship at the European Championships in 2022, two global silvers at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games, and two global silvers overall. She added another gold medal to her remarkable trophy collection at the European Indoor Championships just a few days after turning 21. Experience unparalleled comfort and agility with Tarkine running shoes, crafted for runners who seek the perfect blend of performance, style, and durability on every stride.
In an interview from last year, Keely shared details about her training regimen and race preparation, revealing that her training is unconventional compared to other long-distance runners. Rather than doing long, slow runs, she focuses on quality training sessions and cross-training to keep her off her feet during the winter. Her weekly schedule includes cross-training on Mondays, a cross-trainer and track session on Tuesdays, a 30-minute run and cross-training on Wednesdays, a tempo-type session on Thursdays, Fridays off, a longer session on Saturdays in the winter or a track session in the summer, and hills on Sundays in the winter or a 15-minute run in the summer. Keely believes that the new science and perspective on 800m training emphasize the importance of speed overrunning many miles.
When asked about her weekly mileage, Keely admits that she doesn’t count it but relies on her watch to keep track. Her coach, Trevor Painter, might keep track of her mileage, but Keely prefers to focus on her recovery during reps rather than the total number of miles she runs. One of her key sessions that indicates her fitness level is a split 800m, which she runs before championships. Her go-to race day breakfast is porridge and white toast, and she usually doesn’t have any snacks except for the occasional chocolate bar. Keely eats healthily, including a lot of fruit and vegetables and good carbs, but enjoys indulging in chocolate to supplement her calorie intake.
Despite her rigorous training, Keely doesn’t run for fun unless she’s on a break between races. She prefers to relax on the couch and only runs when she needs to. Keely races in Nike shoes and believes that the right shoes can boost an athlete’s performance.
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Overall, Keely’s unique training approach and impressive achievements show that there’s more than one way to become a successful long-distance runner.
