Hayley Tullett

Hayley Tullett has been a stalwart middle-distance runner for Wales and Great Britain over the last decade. She bowed out of major championship racing at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 after winning a bronze medal in the 1500m

Hayley Tullett has been a stalwart middle-distance runner for Wales and Great Britain over the last decade. She bowed out of major championship racing at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 after winning a bronze medal in the 1500m

SPORT BIO

Hayley Tullett competed in the World Indoor Championships in 1997 and was selected for the European Cup in the summer, when she also performed well at the World University Games in both 800m and 1500m. The following winter brought a Welsh indoor record at 800m but she missed the Commonwealth Games through injury. 

She was fourth in the 1500m at the European Cup and won the AAA title over the same distance to earn selection for the World Championships. The summer brought further personal bests and a rare outing over 3000m saw her finish third in the European Cup, before returning to 1500m for her major goals of the campaign. She again won the AAAs but was a faller in the semi-finals of the Olympic Games.

In 2001 Tullett set a Welsh indoor record in the 3000m at Erfurt and improved that in Birmingham, before taking it down further at the World Indoors. Moving back down in distance she broke the Commonwealth indoor 1500m record in Glasgow. Buoyed by her fine winter form, she ran well in the summer as she took the Welsh 800m title and finished third in the 1500m in the European Cup.

The highlight of the track season in 2002 was her Commonwealth Games Silver medal although she also ended the year with an excellent run in the European Cross Country Championships as she finished fifth to help the Norwich Union GB Team to Bronze. She was named Captain of the European Indoor Cup team, where she won over 1500m.

Over 1500m, she ran a personal best in Zurich which proved the perfect confidence booster going into the World Championships. Tullett had talked about retiring if 2003 had not gone well but she produced the performance of her life in Paris to break four minutes for the first time and take the Bronze medal. She ended the track season with third at the World Athletics Final and then came in as a late replacement for Jo Pavey at the European Cross Country Championships, helping the Norwich Union GB Team win Gold.

Her 2004 indoor campaign included victory in the New Balance Games in New York and a Welsh indoor record of 4:05.64 when third over 1500m in Stockholm. At the Olympic Games in Athens she reached the semi final .