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54-461: Dame Kelly Holmes (born 19 April 1970) is a retired British middle distance athlete , TV presenter and television personality. Holmes specialised in the 800 metres and 1,500 metres events and won gold medals for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens . She set British records in numerous events and still holds the records over the 600 , and 1,000 metre distances. She held

108-404: A 3,000 metres and a relay race in a single day. She also won the heptathlon. Holmes watched the 1992 Summer Olympics on television, and on seeing Lisa York in the heats of the 3,000 metres – an athlete whom she had competed against, and beaten – she decided to return to athletics. For several years she combined athletics with employment in the army, until increased funding allowed her to become

162-541: A 4:06.20 1600m in her 2023 world record mile of 4:07.64. This length of middle-distance race, 1,760 yards (1,609.344 m), is very common in countries that do not use the metric system , and is still often referred to as the " Blue Riband " of the track. When World Athletics (then known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation) decided in 1976 to recognize only world records for metric distances, it made an exception for

216-698: A Class 2 PTI. Although militarily quite young, Holmes's athletic prowess was impressive and she was encouraged to attend the course selection for full-time transfer to the Royal Army Physical Training Corps (RAPTC) at Aldershot . Holmes eventually qualified as a class 1 PTI, although she remained in the Adjutant General's Corps after the disbandment of the WRAC in 1992. She also became British Army judo champion and at an athletics event, she competed in and won an 800 metres,

270-701: A full-time athlete in 1997. Highlights of her early and pre-Athens career included gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and silvers at the World and European Championships. In 2000 she also took a bronze at the Sydney Olympics. In 2017, Holmes revealed that after training in 2003 for the 2004 Summer Olympics at a French training camp where she suffered leg injuries and became depressed, she began cutting herself . "I made one cut for every day that I had been injured", Holmes stated in an interview with

324-423: A metric track is to run the additional 9.344 meters before starting the first marked 400-meter lap. Many tracks, especially high-level tracks, will have a waterfall starting line drawn 9.344 meters back for this purpose. Otherwise, on a metric track, there will be a relay zone 10 meters before the common start/finish line, frequently marked by a triangle pointed toward the finish. In many configurations, that triangle

378-720: A number of television appearances. Holmes was born in Pembury , near Tunbridge Wells in Kent, the daughter of Derrick Holmes, a Jamaican -born car mechanic, and an English mother, Pam Norman. Her mother was 17 at the time of her birth, and seven years later married painter and decorator Michael Norris, whom Holmes regards as her father. Holmes grew up in Hildenborough , Kent, where she attended Hildenborough CEP School, and then Hugh Christie Comprehensive School in Tonbridge from

432-405: A number of the other competitors, and moved into the lead ahead of Mutola on the final bend, taking the gold on the line ahead of Hasna Benhassi and Čeplak, with Mutola in fourth. Holmes became the seventh British woman to win an athletics gold, and the second after Ann Packer in 1964 to win the 800 metres. In the final of the 1,500 m, again running from the rear of the field, she took

486-493: A professional athlete is an extremely difficult thing to do and places the athlete under tremendous amounts of stress. Holmes's honesty quickly won her praise from people on Twitter. 2004 saw Holmes arrive at a major competition, the Athens Olympics , with no injury worries for just about the first time in her career. She had originally planned to compete in just the 1,500 m but a victory over Jolanda Čeplak before

540-477: A standard 400 m track, this event is typically run only in American high schools , along with the 1600 m. It is colloquially called the "two-mile", as the distance is only 18.688 metres shorter. In college, the typical runner of this event would convert to the 5,000-metre run (or potentially the 3,000-metre run during the indoor season). In most eastern American high schools, colleges, and middle schools, this event

594-841: Is a term used primarily in the British Armed Forces and British police , as well as some other Commonwealth countries, for an instructor in physical fitness . In the British Army , specialist Physical Training Instructors (PTIs) of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps are attached to individual units to oversee physical training and manage military gymnasiums. They are assisted by All Arm Physical Training Instructors (AAPTIs), previously known as Assistant Physical Training Instructors (APTIs), who have other jobs within their unit as well as being qualified, but not specialist, physical training instructors. The PTI badge consists of crossed swords. Physical training instructors in

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648-411: Is about half a meter wide, making its point extremely close to the mile start line, which would be slightly less than two feet from the marked relay zone (the widest part of the triangle, or line). When converted down to 1600m, Hicham El Guerrouj ran an equivalent of a 3:41.83 1600m in his 1999 world record mile of 3:43.13. Likewise, when converted down to 1600m, Faith Kipyegon ran an equivalent of

702-442: Is believed to be the fastest man at this distance: 2:44.75, Rieti, 2002. This distance is short of three quarters of a mile (1,320 yards or 1,207m) by about 7 metres. Also known as the metric mile, this is a premier middle-distance race, covering three and three-quarters laps around a standard Olympic-sized track. In recent years, races over this distance have become more of a prolonged sprint, with each lap averaging 55 seconds for

756-406: Is commonly reported to be a highly intense physical experience, requiring large amounts of anaerobic exertion from the body. A very uncommon middle-distance event that is sometimes run by sprinters for muscle stamina training. This was a popular distance, particularly indoors, when imperial distances were common. In the era of wooden 11 lap to a mile tracks (common prior to metrication), this

810-428: Is held by Noah Ngeny ( Kenya ) (2:11.96, Rieti , 5 September 1999), while Svetlana Masterkova (Russia) set the women's record (2:28.98, Brussels , 23 August 1996). See also 1000 metres world record progression . Three laps. A distance seldom raced on its own, but commonly raced as part of the distance medley relay . There are no recorded world records or world bests. However, Hicham El Guerrouj ( Morocco )

864-449: Is rather uncommon and is mainly run by sprinters wishing to test their endurance at a longer distance. Like other middle-distance races, it evolved from the 600 yard race. The 600 m is also used as an early season stepping stone by 800 m runners before they have reached full race fitness. Johnny Gray (United States) holds the record for men: 1:12.81 set at Santa Monica on 24 May 1986. Caster Semenya (South Africa) holds

918-453: Is the official distance for this range of races in US high schools . While this race is rarely run outside high school and collegiate invitational competitions, it has been held at the international level. The 1500 m, however, is the most common distance run at the college and international levels. The final leg of a distance medley relay is 1600 metres. An accurate way to run an actual mile on

972-477: Is the women's world record holder, with her time of 5:19.70, ran in 2024. The 2000m is not an official world record event indoors. Truly on the borderline between middle and longer distances, the 3000 m (7.5 laps) is a standard race in the United States. Between 1983 and 1993 it was a world championship event for women at the outdoor World Athletics Championships and Olympics . The 1984 Olympic race

1026-429: Is usually considered a long-distance event, depending on the region. It is the longest track distance run in most high school competitions. Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran an equivalent of a 7:51.35 3200m in his 2023 world best of 7:54.10 in the two mile run. Meseret Defar ran an equivalent of an 8:55.45 3200m in her 2007 world best of 8:58.58 in the two mile run. This length of long middle-distance or short long-distance race

1080-639: The Sunday Mirror , adding that she felt "finally free". She said that she had known she was a lesbian since 1988, when she was in the army; she could not come out then as it was illegal at the time to be gay in the military. After winning two Olympic gold medals at Athens in 2004 and becoming a public figure, she feared there may still be consequences from the army if she came out after leaving, and that she may be shunned within athletics as there were no openly gay sportspeople she knew of. LGBT campaigners celebrated Holmes coming out, saying that it sheds light on

1134-678: The Athens Olympics , finishing as the 800 m and 1,500 m Olympic Champion . For her achievements she won numerous awards and was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2005. She retired from athletics in 2005 and has since been made an honorary colonel with the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment (RACTR). She has become a global motivational speaker, published five books, her latest being Running Life , and made

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1188-556: The British Army at the age of 18, having left school two years earlier to work first as an assistant in a sweet shop and later as a nursing assistant for disabled patients. In the army, she became a HGV driver in the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC), later becoming a basic physical training instructor (PTI). Holmes then elected in June 1990 to attend the first course to be run under the army's new physical training syllabus, and passed out as

1242-570: The European Championships . She won a silver and a bronze medal at the 1995 Gothenburg World Championships , but suffered from various injuries over the following years, failing to gain a medal at her first Olympics in Atlanta 1996 when running with a stress fracture. She won silver in the 1,500 m at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and bronze in the 800 m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics , her first Olympic medal. Holmes won

1296-472: The News of the World newspaper. At least once, she considered suicide, but she eventually sought help from a doctor and was diagnosed with clinical depression . While she could not use anti-depressants because it would affect her performance, she began using herbal serotonin tablets. In 2005, after her achievements at the 2004 Summer Olympics, Holmes chose to talk about her self-harm to show others that being

1350-605: The Royal Navy are officially titled Physical Trainers and are known as "club swingers" or "clubs" from the crossed clubs they wear as a rate badge. In the Royal Air Force , the PTI badge consists of crossed swords with an eagle in the centre. The New Zealand Defence Force also employs Physical Training Instructors who bear the same symbols as their British counterparts. The New Zealand Army Physical Training Corps wear

1404-480: The four-minute barrier was Englishman Roger Bannister at Oxford in 1954. The current record holders are Hicham El Guerrouj ( Morocco ) (3:43.13, Rome, 7 July 1999) and Faith Kipyegon ( Kenya ) (4:07.64, Monaco, 21 July 2023). The men's world record is held by Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen , who ran a time of 4:43.13 in 2023, beating the previous record held by Hicham El Guerrouj ( Morocco ) (4:44.79, Berlin, 7 September 1999). Jessica Hull of Australia

1458-658: The 1,500 m at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the 800 m bronze at the Munich European Championships that year. The 2003 track season saw her take silver in the 1,500 m at the World Indoor Championships and the 800 m silver medals at the World Championships and first World Athletics Final . She took part in her final major championship in 2004, with a double gold medal-winning performance at

1512-552: The 1,500m final set a new British record for the distance. Subsequently, Holmes was given the honour of carrying the British flag at the closing ceremony of the games, on 29 August, the day after her second victory. A homecoming parade was held in her honour through the streets of Hildenborough and Tonbridge on 1 September, which was attended by approximately 40,000 people. Holmes won the BBC Sports Personality of

1566-503: The British 800 metre record until 2021. Inspired by a number of successful British middle-distance runners in the early 1980s, Holmes began competing in middle-distance events in her youth. She joined the British Army , but continued to compete at the organisation's athletics events. She turned to the professional athletics circuit in 1993 and in 1994 she won the 1,500 m at the Commonwealth Games and took silver at

1620-605: The ITV Loose Women talk show. In 2014 Holmes opened a cafe and community hub in Hildenborough named Cafe 1809 after her 2004 Olympics bib number. She opened a sister branch of the cafe in Gravesend in 2017, but this closed after a few months. In October 2018 Holmes announced the cafe would close the following month, before re-opening as The 1809 Hub: "a space for events, pop-ups, and community gatherings". In June 2022, Holmes came out as gay in an interview with

1674-570: The ITV game show The Cube . In October 2011, she appeared live on Dubai One lifestyle show Studio One where she talked about her life and career after athletics. In 2013 Holmes became the face of MoneyForce , a programme run by the Royal British Legion to deliver money advice to the UK armed forces . In early 2015, she took part in the ITV series Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and

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1728-706: The LGBTQ+ world." In 2012, Holmes was one of five Olympians chosen for a series of body-casting artworks by Louise Giblin , exhibited in London with copies being sold in aid of the charity Headfirst. In 2017 a statue of Holmes by sculptor Guy Portelli was erected in Tonbridge. Middle-distance running Middle-distance running is unique in that it typically requires attributes found in both sprinters and long-distance runners, including combinations of both footspeed and aerobic endurance . Middle-distance racing

1782-616: The UK, the 800 m at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix meeting in Sheffield . Her training schedule during the summer of 2005 had been disrupted by a recurrent Achilles tendon injury, and she finished the race in eighth place, limping across the finish line and completing a lap of honour on a buggy. On 6 December 2005, Holmes announced her retirement from athletics, saying she had reassessed her future after

1836-646: The Year in 2004, saying she achieved her goals after "20 years of dreaming". She also asserted the award was "the biggest sporting honour your country can give you". The tributes to her at the BBC awards ceremony were led by the six British female athletes who had previously won gold at the Olympic Games in a " Magnificent Seven "-style feature – those six being Mary Rand , Ann Packer , Mary Peters , Tessa Sanderson , Sally Gunnell and Denise Lewis . In 2007, she

1890-474: The age of 12. She started training for athletics at the age of 12, joining Tonbridge Athletics Club, where she was coached by David Arnold and went on to win the English Schools 1,500 metres in her second season in 1983. Her hero was British middle-distance runner Steve Ovett , and she was inspired by his success at the 1980 Summer Olympics . However, Holmes later turned away from athletics, joining

1944-675: The charity, she participated in the Powerman UK duathlon in 2014, one of several fundraising events she took part in. Since 2004, Holmes has taken part in "On Camp with Kelly" athletics camps which train junior athletes, sponsored by insurance company Aviva (formerly Norwich Union). In 2005, she won the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year . The same year, she named the P&;O Cruise ship MS Arcadia . On 21 August, she competed in her final race in

1998-499: The crossed swords, Royal New Zealand Navy PTIs wear the crossed clubs, and Royal New Zealand Air Force PTIs wear the clubs and arms. In March 2016, all Navy, Army and Air Force Physical Training Instructors were amalgamated into the new NZDF tri-service unit known as the Joint Operational Health Group. NZDF PTIs use the motto Mens Sana In Corpore Sano , which roughly translates as "a healthy mind in

2052-415: The death of a friend, as well as citing a lack of motivation to continue. In May 2009, Holmes was named as the president of Commonwealth Games England , succeeding Sir Chris Chataway , who had held the post since 1994. The organisation's chairman Sir Andrew Foster said: "Dame Kelly has been an outstanding athlete both for Team England and Great Britain. She is a truly inspirational and respected figure in

2106-526: The distance's world record is not tracked by the International Olympic Committee. Meseret Defar ( Ethiopia ) is the fastest woman: 8:58.58, Brussels, Belgium , 14 September 2007. Another race is only run in high school or Master meets. The typical specialist in this event would move up to the 3000-metre steeplechase in college. A 3,000-metre steeplechase is a distance event requiring greater strength, stamina, and agility than

2160-621: The flat 3,000-metre event. This is because athletes are required to jump over five barriers per lap, after a flat first 200 m to allow for settling in. One barrier per lap is placed in front of a water pit, meaning that runners are also forced to deal with the chafing of wet shoes as they race. The world records are held by Lamecha Girma ( Ethiopia ) (7:52.11, Paris . 9 June 2023) and Gulnara Samitova (Russia) (8:58.81, Beijing, 17 August 2008). [REDACTED] Media related to Middle-distance running at Wikimedia Commons Physical training instructor Physical training instructor ( PTI )

2214-412: The games had many saying she should take her chance in the 800 m as well. Holmes did not announce her decision to race in both events until five days before the 800 m finals. Along with three time World Champion Maria de Lurdes Mutola and Čeplak, Holmes was considered one of the favourites for the gold medal in the 800 m. In the final, Holmes ran a well-paced race, ignoring a fast start by

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2268-430: The historic homophobia that can still serve as a barrier to older people coming out. Later that month, on 26 June, ITV broadcast a 55-minute documentary Kelly Holmes: Being Me in which she describes her fears of her sexuality being exposed, and meets two people who were discharged from the military for being gay. Holmes wrote: "The documentary taught me so much about generational and social advancements when it comes to

2322-479: The lead in the final straight, holding off World Champion Tatyana Tomashova of Russia. She thus became only the third woman in history to do the 800 m and 1,500 m double (after Tatyana Kazankina of the Soviet Union in 1976 and Svetlana Masterkova of Russia in 1996 ), and Britain's first double gold medallist at the same games since Albert Hill in 1920 . Her time of 3 minutes 57.90 seconds in

2376-483: The mile, and records are kept to this day. Historically, the mile took the place that the 1500 m has today. It is still raced on the world-class level, but usually only on select occasions, like the famous Wanamaker Mile , held annually at the Millrose Games . Running a mile in less than four minutes is a famously difficult achievement, long thought impossible by the scientific community. The first man to break

2430-432: The more tactical middle-distance track events. The distance is often witness to some of the most tactical, physical races in the sport, as many championship races are won in the final few metres. At exactly four laps of a normal 400 m track, this distance is raced as a near replacement for the mile (it is, in fact, 9.344 m, about 30.6 feet, shorter; however, it is still colloquially referred to as "the mile"). The 1600 meters

2484-548: The sporting world and will be a wonderful ambassador for Commonwealth Games England." On 18 March 2019, Holmes, along with Paula Radcliffe and Sharron Davies , announced they would be writing a letter to the International Olympic Committee targeting trans women who compete in women's sports categories. Holmes is known for her advocacy on various health-related topics, particularly mental health and menopause. In November 2010, Holmes took part in

2538-507: The women's record: 1:21.77 set at Berlin on 27 August 2017. The 800 m consists of two laps around a standard 400 m track and has always been an Olympic event. It was included in the first women's track programme in 1928 but was suspended until 1960. David Rudisha ( Kenya ) is the current recordholder: 1:40.91, London, 9 August 2012. Jarmila Kratochvílová ( Czechoslovakia ) set the current women's record: 1:53.28, Munich , 26 July 1983. The 880-yard (804.67 m) run, or half-mile,

2592-478: The world record performance by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco : 3:26.00 on 14 July 1998 at Rome (two 1:50 min 800 m performances back to back). Thus, speed is necessary, and it seems that the more aerobic conditioning , the better. Faith Kipyegon from Kenya holds the women's world record: 3:49.04 set in Paris on 7 July 2024. This is a difficult distance at which to compete mentally, in addition to being one of

2646-430: Was 3,520 yards (3,218.688 m). Historically, the two-mile took the place that the 3000 m and the 3200 m have today. The first man to break the four-minute barrier for both miles was Daniel Komen ( Kenya ) at Hechtel, Belgium on 19 July 1997 in a time of 7:58.61. The current world record in the two-mile is held by Jakob Ingebrigtsen , who ran 7:54.10 in the 2023 Paris Diamond League meet on 9 June 2023, although

2700-581: Was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Loughborough University . In 2010, Holmes was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame . In 2018, she was made honorary colonel of the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment. In 2008, Holmes founded the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, a registered charity , to support young athletes and help the lives of young people facing disadvantage across the UK. As part of her pledge to

2754-661: Was famous for the controversial collision between Mary Decker and Zola Budd . The race has been a fixture at the World Athletics Indoor Championships since its inception in 1985 as the longest race for both men and women. This race requires decent speed, but a lack of natural quickness can be made up for with superior aerobic conditioning and race tactics. The records at this distance were set by Jakob Ingebrigtsen ( Norway ) (7:17.55, Silesia , 25 August 2024) and Junxia Wang (China) (8:06.11, Beijing, 13 September 1993). At exactly eight laps on

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2808-722: Was one lap longer than a quarter-mile. In 1882, American Lon Myers set what was then a world record at 600 yards (548.64 m), running it in 1:11.4. The event was a common event for most American students because it was one of the standardized test events as part of the President's Award on Physical Fitness . In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Martin McGrady , who had minimal success at longer or shorter races, made his reputation, set world records and drew many fans to arenas to watch him race elite competitors, including Olympians, at this unusual distance. This middle distance length

2862-489: Was the forebear to the 800 m distance and has its roots in competitions in the United Kingdom in the 1830s. This distance is not commonly raced, though it is more common than the 500 m event is for sprinters. This is commonly raced as an indoor men's heptathlon event, or as an indoor high school event. In 1881, Lon Myers set what was then a world record at 1000 yards, running it in 2:13.0. The men's record

2916-515: Was the runner-up after a 12-day survival mission. In 2017, Holmes presented episode five of the BBC One television series Women at War: 100 Years of Service . In December 2017, Holmes spoke about her 2003 mental health issues in an episode of All in the Mind on BBC Radio 4 and in 2018 was one of the judges of the programme's awards. Since September 2022, Holmes has been a regular panelist on

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