Nike athlete and former Oregon standout part of deep 3,000-meter field at final Wanda Diamond League event in Qatar, with potential to become first female distance runner in Australian history to hold national outdoor records in 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 meters, with all three possibly being achieved in 43 days

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Just like last year, Jessica Hull is expecting to end her outdoor racing schedule early in the fall competing in Doha, Qatar.

And just like in the 1,500-meter semifinals last October at the World Championships, the Australian standout is hoping to conclude her season with a personal-best effort, only Friday at the Wanda Diamond League meeting, that opportunity for the 23-year-old Hull will come at 1:18 p.m. EDT in the 3,000 meters.

But the biggest difference since her last appearance at the Khalifa International Stadium will be the potential history attached to Hull’s performance, as the Nike athlete and former NCAA Division 1 champion at Oregon is looking to achieve a feat that has never been accomplished in Australian women’s distance running.

Having already set national records Aug. 14 in the 5,000 meters by running 14:43.80 in Monaco, and Sept. 15 in the 1,500 by clocking 4:00.42 in Berlin, Hull is attempting to become the first Australian female athlete to not only hold all three all-time outdoor marks during her career, but also simultaneously.

And she could achieve the terrific trifecta all in a span of 43 days by eclipsing the 3,000 mark of 8:38.06 that has been held by Benita Willis-Johnson since 2003.

“You are right in that 8:38.05 is my first target, but regardless, the last 43 days have been very special,” Hull said. “The 3K is a sweet spot and after hitting my goals for the 1,500m and 5K this season. I’m not placing too much emphasis on a time, I just want to keep competing like I have so far this summer.”

Hull ran 8:41.80 in a July 26 race as part of the Steigen World Challenge that was held in a driving rainstorm in New South Wales. Although the time is the fastest 3,000 ever run by a female athlete on Australian soil, it won’t be recognized for record purposes by Australian Athletics officials, since Hull was assisted by the pacing of a pair of male athletes.

Hull’s effort came after learning that American Shannon Rowbury, also a member of the Nike training group coached by Pete Julian, ran a world-leading 8:40.26 at The Bigger Friendly race July 17 at the McKenzie High track in Oregon.

“I was hoping for an 8:40, which is a lot faster than I’ve gone before, so I was still uncertain if it was in reach. There’s a powerful effect, though, when you see a teammate do something that makes it seem more achievable. Watching Shannon run 8:40 at The Bigger Friendly showed me I could probably be around that mark too,” Hull said. “Because she was training in Portland while I was in Australia, we were training in parallel and I took confidence that if Shannon could do it, then I could do it and vice versa.”

Rowbury isn’t scheduled to race again Friday, but there will be plenty of familiar faces surrounding Hull in the field of 16 athletes, including Australian Genevieve Gregson, along with British athlete Laura Weightman – who ran 14:35.44 in the 5,000 in Monaco and 4:00.09 in the 1,500 in Berlin – and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, the World 1,500 bronze medalist who competed in the same semifinal race when Hull ran 4:01.80 last year.

A trio of Kenyan athletes highlight the field, led by Hellen Obiri – the No. 8 all-time performer at 8:20.68 – along with 3,000 steeplechase world-record holder and reigning gold medalist Beatrice Chepkoech, in addition to 2015 global steeplechase champion Hyvin Kiyeng.

“I love racing with both Laura and Gudaf Tsegay, so with both of them in the field, plus the depth of the overall field in general, I know I just need to focus on the competing piece and let the rest unfold,” Hull said. “I’m really excited ahead of the 3K. I feel a lot more relaxed going into (Friday). It’s most likely my last track race, so I’m just looking forward to making the most of it and seeing what I can do.”

Since Australian Athletics recognized the women’s 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 national records in its annual publication for the first time in 1983, only four competitors have held two of the three standards, but never all three.

Jenny Orr boasted the 1,500 and 3,000 records, with Donna Gould and Willis-Johnson both holding the 3,000 and 5,000. Hull eclipsed the 5,000 mark of 14:47.60 belonging to Willis-Johnson since 2002.

Hull is the first Australian distance runner to hold the women’s 1,500 and 5,000 national outdoor records simultaneously since Kate Anderson-Richardson during the spring and summer of 1996, before Hull was born in October of that year.

“With my birthday next month, there is a strange connection to the time period it has spanned across,” said Hull, also the Australian indoor 1,500 national record holder at 4:04.14.

“Isn’t timing a funny thing.”

Perhaps Hull can look back with a laugh about how the 3,000 race two months ago on her home Crest Athletics Track wasn’t considered official because it was a co-ed competition. Only after she has potentially made history that no one in Australia can dispute.

“It’s crazy to think that it was the fastest 3K run on Australian soil before,” Hull said. “I’ll have to make that official one day.”