Isabelle Boffey capitalised on the absence of rival Keely Hodgkinson to successfully defend her women's 800 metres title at the UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham. Hodgkinson, who had posted the fastest time in the heats, withdrew from the final earlier in the week, paving the way for Boffey to secure gold with a commanding performance.
Boffey's Dominant Victory and World Indoor Ambitions
The 25-year-old middle-distance runner surged ahead as the bell rang for the final 200 metres, pulling clear of the chasing pack to cross the line in one minute 59.64 seconds. She finished almost two seconds ahead of Emily Simpson, who took silver. Following her win, Boffey expressed her satisfaction with the time and clarified her plans to compete at the upcoming World Indoor Championships in Poland next month.
"If I'd done that time this time last year I'd have been over the moon, but today I wanted to beat the lights until the end of the race," Boffey said. "I'm still gunning for more and I'm not a super natural front runner so it's still something I'm learning to do and learning how to pace. Buzzing with today and happy with the time."
She added, "A couple of weeks ago I wasn't sure about going to the World Indoors. Now I'm feeling more confident. Winning this title is a great step towards qualifying. I didn't get through the heats last time so that's my first aim."
Other Notable Performances at the Championships
In other events, Jeremiah Azu continued his impressive form by securing his second gold medal in as many days. After winning the 60 metres title on Saturday, Azu triumphed in the 200 metres with a time of 20.77 seconds. Ezekiel Lowe initially finished second but was later disqualified, resulting in Lee Thompson taking silver and Corey Nealon-Richards claiming bronze.
"There's a level of speed you get from competition you don't get in training. To get the exposure is adding to the base," Azu remarked. "I don't want to dumb it down at all. It's an honour to win medals nationally, you are racing the best in the UK at the time."
Comeback and Record-Breaking Feats
Ben Pattison marked a significant return to form with victory in the men's 800 metres, clocking one minute 46.74 seconds. This win comes after a disappointing 2025 season marred by injuries. "Last year was so rubbish for me with injuries, so I want to be racing as much as possible now," Pattison admitted. "I don't know where I am in 800m running at the moment which may sound odd, but I am learning every single race. When I get to those world-standard races, I need to be ready for those and up my standard."
Hannah Nuttall set a championship record in the women's 3000 metres, easing to victory in eight minutes 41.75 seconds. Meanwhile, Jemma Reekie claimed gold in the 1500 metres. In the men's 3000 metres, Thomas Keen edged out Henry McLuckie for the title after Josh Kerr withdrew due to a back injury sustained during warm-ups on Saturday, for which he received a medical exemption.
