Just a fortnight on from a scintillatingly-fast 1:57.43 lifetime best, 800m runner Issy Boffey is targeting a third national indoor title at the Novuna UK Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham’s Utilita Arena (Feb 14-15), in what could be the most enthralling race of the weekend against Olympic champion, Keely Hodgkinson.

The 25 year-old’s breakthrough performance in Boston, USA at the end of January – an indoor personal best by almost two seconds – elevated her to the eighth-fastest woman in history indoors over the four-lap distance, and is the second-fastest ever by a British female behind Hogkinson’s 1:57.18 national record.

Coached by three-time British 3,000m steeplechase champion, Luke Gunn, Boffey revealed:

“The race was crazy – it was only my second race of the season after a solid opener (having clocked 2:00.14 in Boston at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston) – I knew I could go quicker but it was still a shock.

“I went into it determined to go with the pacer for a fast time – it’s really a reflection of my fitness so I’m very pleased. I didn’t see the clock as I crossed the line so the time really shocked me when it came up – it’s mad but my training has shown I could do it. I’ve had such a consistent build up of great training and health, it’s been amazing.”

The 2021 European under 23 champion continued:

“I’m super happy and I hope I can continue this form into the outdoor season. It was one step in a big year ahead that I’m excited for.”

Based at the University of Birmingham on a post-graduate scholarship and training alongside European under 20 bronze medalist, Abbie Ives and UK outdoor 1500m champion, Sarah Calvert – Boffey will next weekend strive to add to her 2023 and 2025 UK indoor victories – a crown that has great significance to her achievements and goals:

“Winning the title last year gave me lots of confidence and I love racing in Birmingham, I’ve raced there so many times year after year,” explained the 2019 European under 20 champion.

“I’m super excited to race Keely and I hope I can take the win and run a quick time against her. She’s such a great racer so I hope to be dragged round to a fast time.

“I’ll have a lot of family and friends there supporting me, and the Birmingham crowd always provides big cheers. I love the city and am so grateful for the set-up I have there.”

With selection for next month’s World Athletics Indoor Championships in Kujawy Pomorze, Poland (March 20-22) at the forefront of her mind, Boffey is targeting a medal but taking her season “one step at a time.”

Sixth in the 2021 European indoor Championships in Torun, Boffey has been confident of an imminent shift in performance following no less than seven sub 2:01 runs during last summer’s outdoor season – including two sub-two-minute efforts in August – and revealed her thoughts behind her eye-catching winter transformation:

“My improvement’s down to the year on year process really – some great consistency and my mindset has changed, thanks to great sports psychology support,” Boffey said.

“The consistency of my 800m times last summer was crazy so I’ve been waiting for that big drop.”

Having exited the heats of last March’s European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apledoorn before finishing fourth in the summer’s UK Athletics outdoor Championships in Birmingham, the 2016 European under 18 champion is keen to capitalise on her superb form by revising her 1:59.30 personal best and qualifying for the two major events of an exciting 2026 summer campaign:

“I missed the last European’s and Commonwealth’s in 2022 so I hope to make the Welsh team for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the British team for the European Champs in Birmingham – that will be such a big and important champs in a special place for me,” she explained.

“The 800m in Britain is such a strong event and it’s so hard to make the team for it, but now the goal-posts have moved slightly for me and I’m excited.”

The nation’s top athletes are set to light up the Utilita Arena Birmingham from 14–15 February for the 2026 Novuna UK Athletics Indoor Championships. Catch all the action live in Birmingham by purchasing your ticket here. 

Nicola Sutton for British Athletics.