by Stuart Weir
Adelle Tracy takes the British 1,500m, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics
The British Trials women’s 1,500m was an exciting race. Stuart Weir choose to write about this piece for his second article on the British Trials.
women’s 1500m
Holly Archer leading British 1,500m, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics
The race of the first day at the British Indoor Championships was the women’s 1500m. It was appropriately the last event of the day. Originally it was scheduled as prelims with the final on Sunday but with only 12 athletes in the field, it was decided to go straight to a final. Of the field, only Erin Wallace had the qualifying time. It was a slow start with Holly Archer leading for most of the race but was overtaken late in the day by Wallace, only for Adelle Tracey to time her run to perfection and win.
The result was
1 Adelle Tracey 4:13.14
2 Erin Wallace 4:14.72
3 Holly Archer 4:18.35
Adelle Tracey, normally an 800m runner, commented: “Being British Champion feels really good. I have been British champion outdoors at 800 before but to step up in distance to do it indoors feels great. It has been a while. It wasn’t slow out there. Holly made it really tough. The number of laps was a real challenge for me with the longer distance.
Holly Archer leads the British Champs, photo by Getty Images /British Athletics
“The world Indoors wasn’t really a target for me hence why I stepped up to the 1500m. I am in the middle of a big training block. I want to head into the outdoors with a little left in the tank – last year I felt I over-did the indoors. It is a big year with three championships this year with the focus very much on 800 but I do have the qualifying time for 1500 as well so it may be I target one champs at 1500. Hence the stepping up today and I am chuffed to be going home with this medal”.
Adelle Tracy wins the British Trials 1,500m, photo by Getty Images /British Athletics
Erin Wallace commented: “It was weird and it was quite scrappy but overall I can’t really be annoyed. Normally I’m quite fast off the line and I’m used to being at the front early so today was a slight mistake in that sense. I was trying to work hard to the line and Adelle went past me. I hope I’ve done enough to get into the team for the World Indoors and I’ll find out on Monday”.
Adelle Tracy, photo by Getty Images / British Athletics
Holly Archer reflected on the race “I’m actually really happy with that race. I didn’t plan to take it out from the front but I just committed and felt really strong, the strongest I have all season. I’ll take that as a win even though I got a bronze. It fell apart from the last lap but I wanted to go for it when I found myself at the front rather than just finishing where I did from sitting in third or fourth. Some of the girls got a good time and it was a fast race.
Holly Archer, Adelle Tracy, Erin Wallace, photo by Getty Images /British Athletics
The more competition there is, the higher that you can elevate yourself and now it’s about trying to get a PB and then go for the Commonwealths, Worlds, and Europeans. If I make a team that’d be amazing”.
Of the 12 athletes in the race, six ran PRs.
