What I love about track & field athletics: Jake Wightman, British middle distance runner

Last weekend, I was in Las Vegas. I was there to interview eleven athletes in six hours. With each athlete, i did an audio interview, a three minute FB live interview with three training tips and a one minute Instagram video on what they love about the sport. The athletes were all represented by Global Athletics & Marketing. It is an exceptional event.

Jake Wightman, 800 meters at adidas Boston Boost Games, photo by PhotoRun.net

2026 Winter Middle Distance Training (800m-5,000m), Monday, January 19, 2026, Week 3, Day 1, the third week of Winter running, with an easy day on Monday!

Artists Wanted: Peachtree T-Shirt Design Contest Returns Ahead of 57th Running of the Road Race

Cam Myers runs fastest mile EVER in January with 3:49.81 at Washington Indoor Preview !

Jake Wightman had an exceptional year. He won two Diamond League races in 2017, he made the World Championships team and competed there, and ran PB at 1,500 meters (and 800 meters). Jake is coached by his father, Geoff Wightman, as he has his entire career. Now running for New Balance, Jake is represented by Global Athletics.

So, Jake was my first interview of the day. He is quite optimistic, but most of all, with both parents former elite marathoners Geoff Wightman iSusan Tooby) is his mum, Jake has been embraced with running his entire life. It was so much fun to watch him race this year, setting PBs indoor and out. His race style is controlled agression. Keep your emotions under control and then, take off with 300 meters to go. His two wins this year were brilliant examples of how to run the perfect middle distance race! We look forward to see Jake race more in 2018!

Jake Wightman, British 1500 m runner, on why He loves the sport, #gamupdates, #newbalance.

A post shared by RunBlogRun (@runblogrun) on Oct 14, 2017 at 12:38pm PDT

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

View all posts