BIRMINGHAM, England (Feb 14) – Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson made a blistering start to her 2026 campaign on Saturday, running a world lead, national record, and personal best of 1:56.33 seconds in the 800 metres heats at the UK Indoor Championships.
In her first indoor race in nearly three years, the 21-year-old delivered a commanding gun-to-tape performance, soaring to No. 3 on the world indoor all-time list. Her mark trails only Slovenia’s Jolanda Ceplak (1:55.82) and Austria’s Stefanie Graf (1:55.85), both set in 2002.
Clearly testing her fitness and aiming to lay down a marker in her first race since last October, Hodgkinson surged through the opening 200m and hit 400m in 56.28. By the 600m mark, she was well clear of the field at 1:26.11 and she kept the momentum going, charging home to eclipse Germany’s Christine Wachtel’s 1988 mark of 1:56.40 at No. 3 on the world all-time list.
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The reigning Olympic and European 800m champion announced before the event that she would only contest the heats in Birmingham, but plans to race again on Thursday in Liévin, France.
“I know I am in really good shape at the moment,” Hodgkinson told the BBC at trackside. “It was fun to run in front of a British crowd. I just wanted to practice the new 800m start, but I guess I accidentally ran quite fast.”
Isabelle Boffey, who recently became the second-fastest British 800m short track woman, cruised into the final by winning the second semi-final heat with 2:06.75. Boffey has run as fast as 1:57.43 already this season and will be the overwhelming favorite to win on Sunday with Hodgkinson not competing in the final.
In the sprints, Dina Asher-Smith and Jeremiah Azu claimed national 60m titles. Asher-Smith, the 2019 world 200m champion, posted a championship record and season’s best 7.05 seconds, beating Amy Hunt (7.15). Azu clocked 6.56 to retain his men’s title, outsprinting Romell Glave (6.62).
