Keely Hodgkinson's support team aims to help her break world record
BBC Sport examines the group of coaches and staff behind British 800m runner Keely Hodgkinson's ascent to gold medals. The team is now focused on helping her achieve a world record time.
The M11 Track Club, based in east Manchester, houses nearly 30 international athletes under coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows. The group fosters a family-like atmosphere that shifts into intense, punishing work during timed sessions, with new recruit Gaia Sabbatini recently joining from Rome.
Hodgkinson, 24, has collected six global medals across six professional years. She achieved a British 800m record in Stockholm just before starting her event-specific lactic acid training block in early June. In that same race, Swiss runner Audrey Werro posted the fastest time since the world record was set 43 years ago.
The pursuit of a world record by Hodgkinson could inspire a new generation of British middle-distance runners, potentially increasing youth participation in athletics. Her team's emphasis on a supportive, family-like training environment may also influence how other elite athletes structure their support systems, highlighting that sustained international success often relies on collective effort rather than individual talent alone. This could reshape coaching philosophies across the sport.