Jessica Hull (born 22 October 1996) is an Australian

middle Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...

and long distance runner. She won a silver medal in the

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilomet ...

at the

2024 Paris Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

. Hull is a four-time national champion for Australia, with two titles in the 1500 m and two in the

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a sta ...

. She graduated from the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

, where she was a two-time individual

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

champion, and has run professionally for Nike since 2019. In July 2024, Hull set a world record in the

2000 metres The 2000 metres or 2000-metre run is a track running event where five laps are completed around an outdoor 400 m track, or ten laps around a 200 m indoor track - the distance is 11.68 meters short of 1¼ miles. The global governing body World At ...

, with a time of 5:19.70. She is also the Oceanian record holder for the indoor and outdoor 1500 m, indoor and outdoor

mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a imperial unit, British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of Unit of length, le ...

, and outdoor

3000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000 m sho ...

. Her Oceanian record of 3:50.83 in the 1500 m was the 5th-fastest all-time performance in the event.

Career

Early years

Hull was born in

Wollongong Wollongong ( ; Dharawal: ''Woolyungah'') is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound ...

. She grew up in

Albion Park Albion Park is a suburb situated in the Macquarie Valley in the City of Shellharbour, which is in turn one of the three local government areas that comprise the Wollongong Metropolitan Area, New South Wales, Australia. Although it is surround ...

and began running cross-country and athletics carnivals at school aged eight. She also played

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

until the age of fourteen. Her training was initially guided by her father, Simon, who had been a national level middle-distance runner.

Junior representation

Hull won the under-17

at the 2012

Australian Athletics Championships The Australian Athletics Championships or Australian Open Track and Field Championships are held annually to determine Australia's champion athletes in a range of athletics events. The championships are the primary qualification trial for athle ...

with a time of 4:28.11. The 17-year-old made her international debut at the 2014 World U20 Championships held in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...

, where she finished seventh in the

in a personal best time of 9:08.85. Hull won the 1500 m at the 2015 Australian Junior Championships, when she also finished third in the

800 m The 800 metres, or 800 meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event sin ...

.2019 Jessica Hull profile

Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCA ...

She placed 69th in the women's junior race at the

World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the In ...

that year with a time of 23:11.

College years

After high school, Hull went to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

where she studied at

, completing a degree in

human physiology The human body is the entire structure of a human being. It is composed of many different types of cells that together create tissues and subsequently organs and then organ systems. The external human body consists of a head, hair, neck, ...

. As a student-athlete, she represented the

. She was coached by Maurica Powell for three years and Helen Lehman-Winters in her senior year. Hull was the

indoor 3000 m bronze medallist in 2018, and over the next two years, added six podium finishes on the indoor and outdoor track and in cross country, including four collegiate titles. She was the individual NCAA champion in the 1500 m in 2018 and in the indoor 3000 m in 2019, earning seven

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n honors.

Early professional years

In July 2019, Hull signed with

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

and joined the now-defunct Nike Oregon Project. In her senior international debut at the

2019 World Athletics Championships The 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships () was the seventeenth edition of the biennial, global sport of athletics, athletics competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), since renamed World Athleti ...

hosted in

Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

, she narrowly missed the 1500 m final. Her personal best time of 4:01.80 was the fastest non-qualifying time for the final ever at a world championships or Olympics. In January 2020, she set an Oceanian indoor 1500 m record at the

New Balance Indoor Grand Prix The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, formerly known as the Boston Indoor Games, is an annual indoor track and field meet which is held in late January or early February at the Track at New Balance. Prior to 2023, it was hosted at the Reggie Lewis Tr ...

meet in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, winning the event with a time of 4:04.14. Later that year, she broke 18-year-old Australian national 5000 m record at

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

Diamond League The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fifteen invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics one-day meet competitions. The inaugural season was ...

, finishing fourth in a time of 14:43.80. In August 2021, Hull reached the final of the 1500 m event at the postponed

Tokyo Olympics Tokyo Olympics may refer to: * 1940 Summer Olympics, Games of the XII Olympiad, cancelled due to World War II * 1964 Summer Olympics, Games of the XVIII Olympiad * 2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an ...

, which she set an Oceanian record time of 3:58.81, coming in fourth place in the semi-final. Two days later, she placed 11th in the final in a time of 4:02.63. In February 2023, at the

World Athletics Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the In ...

held in Australia, Hull competed in the mixed relay with teammates

Oliver Hoare Oliver Reginald Hoare (18 July 1945 – 23 August 2018) was an English art dealer, described as arguably the most influential dealer in the Islamic art world. Early life and family Hoare was born on 18 July 1945 to Reginald Hoare, a Norfolk lan ...

Stewart McSweyn Stewart "Stewie" McSweyn (born 1 June 1995) is an Australian long-distance runner. He was a finalist in the men's 1500 metres in the Tokyo Olympics, and has also been a World Championships and Commonwealth Games finalist in the 3000 metres ste ...

and

Abbey Caldwell Abbey Caldwell (born 3 July 2001) is an Australian middle-distance athlete. She is the current national champion in the 800 metres and holds the Oceanian record in the 1000 metres. Career Caldwell begun running at five years old, and steadi ...

. On her leg, she took the lead, and ultimately Australia finished with a bronze.

Medals and record-breaking spree

In July 2023, Hull ran a mile in 4:15.34, which took almost three seconds off the Australian and Oceanian women's mile records, and was eighth-fastest time ever in the women's mile. On 7 July 2024, Hull improved on her own Oceanian record in the 1500 metres to 3:50.83 at the

Meeting de Paris Meeting de Paris (formerly known as the Meeting Areva and Meeting Gaz de France) is an annual track and field meeting at the Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris, France. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Di ...

; this time moved her up to 5th on the all-time top list. Later that month, at the Herculis Meeting in

, Hull competed in the

, running 5:19.70 to break the previous world record held by Burundi's

Francine Niyonsaba Francine Niyonsaba (born May 5, 1993) is a Burundian runner who specialized in the 800 metres and shifted to longer distances in 2019. She was the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist in the women's 800 metres. Her silver medal was the first Oly ...

, who ran 5:21.56 in 2021. At the

, Hull won a silver medal in the 1500 m, running 3:52.56 behind

Faith Kipyegon Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (born 10 January 1994) is a Kenyan Middle-distance running, middle and Long-distance running, long distance runner. Kipyegon is the current List of world records in athletics, world record holder for the 1500 metres, 1 ...

. In October 2024, it was announced that Hull had signed up for the inaugural season of the Michael Johnson founded

Grand Slam Track Grand Slam Track is a professional track and field league, first announced in 2024 by American former Olympic champion sprinter Michael Johnson. The first season ran from April to June 2025. After being initially announced in February 2024, the n ...

. She made her Grand Slam Track and 2025 outdoor debuts in the 800m at the inaugural Grand Slam Meet in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...

on 4 April, finishing third in a new personal best of 1:58.58 seconds.

Personal life

In December 2022, Hull married Daniel Jolliffe.

Statistics

International competitions

Circuit performances

National titles

: 2023 **

: 2020, 2022, 2023

NCAA championships

References

External links

*
Jessica Hull
at Milesplit
Jessica Hull
at

Australian Athletics Australian Athletics is the national sporting organisation (NSO) recognised by Australian Sports Commission for the sport of athletics in Australia. Founded in 1897, the organisation is responsible for administering a sport with over 16,000 reg ...

Jessica Hull
at Australian Athletics Historical Results * * *
Jessica Hull
at the

Paris 2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

(archived
alternate link
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hull, Jessica Living people 1996 births Australian female middle-distance runners Track and field athletes from Portland, Oregon Oregon Ducks women's track and field athletes University of Oregon alumni Australian Athletics Championships winners NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners Olympic athletes for Australia Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic silver medalists for Australia 21st-century Australian sportswomen World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists