History Made: Keely Hodgkinson Shatters 24-Year-Old World Indoor Record
- Mark Dunn
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
History Made: Keely Hodgkinson Shatters 24-Year-Old World Indoor Record
By Mark Dunn/Sports News UK
The athletics world stood still tonight as Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson didn't just step into the history books—she rewrote them. Competing at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Liévin, France, the reigning Olympic champion delivered a performance for the ages, clocking a breathtaking 1:54.87 to break the women’s world indoor 800m record.
The previous mark of 1:55.82, set by Slovenia’s Jolanda Čeplak, had stood since March 3, 2002, the exact day Keely was born. After nearly 24 years, the record has finally been lowered by the woman many believe was destined to take it.
The Momentum from Birmingham: The signs were all there just days ago at the UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham. We were trackside to witness Keely's season opener, where she cruised to a solo 1:56.33 in the heats. Even without pacemakers or wavelights, she looked untouchable, moving to third on the all-time list and signaling to the world that the record was under serious threat.
Keely Hodgkinson - Image by Mark Dunn
A Class of Her Own: In Liévin, the execution was flawless. Shaving nearly a full second off the previous world mark, Hodgkinson becomes the first British woman to set a world record in the 800m in over 60 years.
With the World Indoor Championships in Torun fast approaching this March, Keely is clearly in the form of her life. If tonight was any indication, the "Golden Girl" of British middle-distance running is only just getting started.
Keely Hodgkinson’s historic achievement is a shared triumph for her coaching team, as she is guided by the husband-and-wife duo of Trevor Painter and former world bronze medalist Jenny Meadows at the Manchester-based M11 Track Club.
Keely Hodgkingson and Jenny Meadows - Image by Mark Dunn
Meadows, who retired from professional running in 2016, brings invaluable elite experience to the partnership; she was a world-class 800m runner herself, boasting a personal best of 1:57.93. The pair have fostered a "family feel" environment that has clearly paid dividends, with their work earning them the 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award.
The Technical Breakdown: While the headline is the world record, the way she ran it tells the real story. After the pacemaker dropped out at the 400m mark, Keely was left to battle the clock alone. To go sub-1:55 indoors requires a perfect marriage of positioning and cadence, and her splits were a testament to her aerobic engine:
• 200m: Opened with intent in 27.1s.
• 400m: Through the halfway mark in a blistering 56.2s.
• 600m: Maintained a punishing rhythm to hit 1:25.5s.
• Final 200m: A sub-29-second closing lap that left the rest of the field in another post code.
By shaving nearly a full second off the previous mark, Keely has entered a stratosphere previously occupied only by legends of the outdoor circuit.
The Birmingham Omen: For those of us at the UK Indoor Championships last week, this didn’t come as a total surprise. The atmosphere in the arena was humming; you could feel the anticipation every time Keely stepped onto the track.
Even in her solo 1:56.33 run in Birmingham—achieved without the aid of wavelights—her stride length and efficiency were noticeably superior. She wasn't just winning races at the UK Champs; she was calibrating her internal clock for tonight’s assault on history.
That is such an incredible moment for British athletics to cover. Keely Hodgkinson didn't just break the record; she absolutely shattered it in Liévin tonight (February 19, 2026), clocking an astonishing 1:54.87.
Congratulations Keely, we are all very proud of you.
Keely Hodgkinson breaking the UK Record in Birmingham - Image by Mark Dunn
Watch the Race here:
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