When Jessica Hull races, she knows exactly when to make her move. And in 2023, Hull made a move that would become career-defining: returning to Australia to be coached by her dad. Now, she is one of the world’s fastest middle-distance runners.
It was a full-circle moment for the 29-year-old. Simon Hull first coached his daughter in her early teens, the difference now being that they write the training together. “He’s like, ‘you’re driving this, and I’m supporting it in every way I can. But these are your goals, these are your dreams,’” Hull says.
In what has been a busy start to 2026, Hull last week took silver in the prestigious Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games. In January, she won her first gold medal at the world athletics cross-country championships in Florida, where she anchored Australia’s mixed relay team. She feels that the team success could be a precursor to individual success.
“I am really proud of it,” Hull says. “I think you have to crack in somewhere, but I definitely want one individually. You’ve got to make things a habit, and winning gold is definitely a nice habit to have.”
Since 2023, Hull has won Olympic silver in the 1500m and three world championships bronze medals, along with this year’s results. She broke the world record in the 2000m (5:19.70) at Monaco Diamond League (she will attempt to break the indoor 2000m this month too). She has run a whopping eight national records, including her breakthrough 1500m (3:50.83) at Paris Diamond League in 2024 and the 800m record (1:57.15) in the Tokyo world championships last year (despite the fact she is new to the 800m).
This run of form coincides with Hull’s return home.
Hull describes her dad, a former national-level middle-distance runner, as “extremely positive”, “encouraging” and “very Australian”. She recalls him struggling to order a coffee in Italian while overseas competing. “The staff in the coffee shop look at him like, ‘not this man again! We have no idea what he’s saying!’” Hull says.
They never disagree. Their connection is so intuitive, it borders on mind reading – sometimes Hull will imagine a workout she wants to do, and her dad will text her the exact session. She can almost always pick his voice out of a crowd while she is racing. “It’s bigger than just coach and athlete,” she says. “We probably know each other better than anyone else in the world.”
The Hulls have steadily been professionalising their set up in Newcastle. Regular physio treatment and massage are a fixture, as well as altitude training and inviting male athletes in their early-20s to train fast with. When Hull is preparing for a major championship, she brings her pacers abroad – a transformational experience for young athletes with their own ambitions.
Hull’s husband, Daniel Jolliffe, has also been on the circuit full-time for the past 12 months. “You need your support person around you,” she says. “And I think now he embraces it – he’s on the bike helping with pacing or biking next to me on an easy run.”
Having her inner circle close has helped Hull deal with the steep increase in public expectation, which soared when she ran her personal best in the 1500m and her 2000m world record right before Paris 2024. It got even noisier when she became the first Australian woman in history to win a 1500m Olympic medal.
“You’ve obviously got a little bit more of a spotlight, so if you fail it feels really bright, but it also makes you a better athlete, because you’re exploring what’s possible,” she says.
While the limelight has brought with it new sponsorships and partnership opportunities, Hull has noticed her competitors now expect her to set the tone in a race. This newly earned status has deepened her respect for athletes like 1500m world record-holder and three-time Olympic gold medallist, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who has been held in such esteem for years. While Kipyegon is still the one to beat – and could face Hull at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this year – the Australian is less fixated on defeating her, and more interested in getting the best out of herself.
“I’m focused on just ‘being one better’ than I was in Paris,” she says. “It’s a simple way of not screaming from the rooftops, ‘I want to win the Olympic gold medal!’ Because I do. But when you say it like that, it’s really intimidating. ”
Hull’s impact on the next crop cannot be understated as running participation soars in Australia. It is a responsibility she welcomes, having once been that kid collecting autographs at local track meets. It was while showing Little Athletics participants in Gladstone her Olympic medal that she had the realisation it had taken 20 years of wholehearted commitment to get to where she is now.
“Having a lot of ownership over my career in the last couple of years has definitely made that even sweeter. It’s like, I did that … I made the changes that I needed to make to give myself a chance.”
