What is better than running one of the best races of your career? Getting the opportunity to do the same the next weekend. On the eve of a Millrose Games debut, James Rhodes spoke to Melissa Courtney-Bryant about two races over fifteen laps and what might come later this season.
For almost eight years, there has been an exclusive club in British running. So exclusive, in fact, it had only one member. That was Laura Muir, the only British woman to have run inside 8:30.00 for 3000m indoors.
Until last weekend. With one of the best races of her career – so far – Melissa Courtney Bryant doubled its membership. An added benefit, she did so with a victory on a ‘home’ track. There aren’t many who can say that when racing in a different continent to home.
A cold Sunday afternoon in Boston. The TRACK at New Balance, home of the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix and Melissa’s sponsors. It’s a track she knows well, after visits for the two years prior. This time, despite the same distance and same fifteen laps, it was different.
8:28.69. PB. Welsh Record. World Lead. A move to second on the British and fourth on the European all-time list. It had been a long time coming.
“I’m really happy. I knew I was capable of running a time like that, and I feel like I have been capable of it for quite a few years, but never quite got there.
Training had been going really well in the build-up, and I was really confident I could run under 8:30. I didn’t put too much pressure on myself, as I knew I had Millrose as well. I thought, just go out and enjoy it. Obviously, I didn’t know how the race was going to pan out, or what was going to happen.
I felt very ready and relaxed. Once I got running, I thought ‘wow, I didn’t expect to feel this good!’. It’s a nice surprise when things like that go really well”.
Photo: James Rhodes
The Near Perfect Race
Go well, it did. Melissa sat behind American Elise Cranny – who had run a 4:20:83 mile two days prior –for much of the race. The bell sounded, and the decisive move was made. Questioning whether to make the move earlier or not, advice from coach Rob Denmark played its part:
“I felt really good for that last 200m. My coach had been quite specific that if I was in that position, to just wait and until the last lap. I think that was the right decision, considering we know how quick Elise can be.
I’m glad I did that, but now looking at it I wonder ‘Should I have gone earlier? Could I have gone a little bit faster?’ Hopefully another time!”
Another time? We’ll come to that soon.
The race came off the back of a successful training camp in Kenya, with the potential disruptor of long travel and jet lag due to the eight-hour time difference avoided. Iten is a venue well known to Melissa, this being her ninth visit.
This visit was a bit different with usual training companions such as Adelle Tracey absent. However, in a place like this, you are rarely training alone.
She was joined by Poole AC clubmate Mark Ruby, who raced at the BUCS XC Championships last weekend, for the first two weeks, and the pair did a number of sessions together. Plenty of others joined too.
“The first week I was a bit apprehensive, thinking I’m going to be here for a whole month on my own, but it really wasn’t like that. You always meet people, so that is nice. I had a good camp, training couldn’t have gone better”.
It was a much better experience and build up than twelve months prior. A torn soleus over Christmas 2023 meant minimal running in Kenya, making last year’s sole indoor appearance, 8:37.74 at the same meeting, all the more impressive.
Moving to Millrose
What’s better than having the near perfect race, the belief you can run faster? Having the opportunity to do so just six days later! A Millrose Games debut, and another fifteen laps, await. The goal is clear.
“I’ve never raced at Millrose. It’ll be really exciting, it’s such a prestigious event to compete in. I think that, when you’re in this kind of shape, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to compete. I’ve had those injury years where I haven’t been able to compete, so I know what it’s like to be sat at home watching.
I’d love to run a really fast time, faster than 8:28. The British Record is 8:26, and that is in the back of my mind”.
With a field including Australian Jess Hull, who has said she wants to run inside the World Indoor Championships standard of 8:33.00, it certainly is possible.
Eyes on the Europeans
After a trip to the Big Apple, attention moves to the British Championships and qualification for the European Indoors. This year, it isn’t a given, as seven women have run inside the qualification standard, five over the past week.
The Europeans, taking place 6-9 March in Apeldoorn (the Netherlands), is a competition Melissa knows well. Two appearances, and two bronze medals. They are both meaningful for their own reasons, but a step up the podium would be a welcome advancement.
“At the moment the focus is definitely on the Europeans. I really want to do them, that was my plan through the whole of winter. I love both of those bronze medals, they mean different things for me. One was my first medal, and the other was coming back from injury, so they are very meaningful.
I’d take any medal, but I’d really like to upgrade from bronze to silver or gold. It’d be the best thing! I feel like I’m in a very different place in training now that I can go in there with a lot more confidence”.
Photo: James Rhodes
Nanjing or Not
Whilst 3000m is the only distance that Melissa will run indoors, what lies beyond early March remains an uncertainty. Two weeks after the Europeans, the World Indoor Championships take place in Nanjing (China). With the standard now secured, a trip could be a possibility. It’s not ruled out, but it’s not ruled in either.
“Every time I speak to Rob about it, he says ‘oh I’m not sure yet!’. After the weekend, I asked ‘what are we going to do now?’. I feel like we will play it by ear, see how the next couple of weeks go. It would make it quite a long indoor season, and I really want to do well in the outdoor season.
But at the same time, I feel like if I’m in good shape and things are going well, it would be nice to go. We’ll hopefully know in the next couple of weeks how things are going, how I’m feeling, how I come off the back of doing two races as well”.
One uncompleted desire will remain, however. Ticking off running a 5000m indoors. That desire has grown a little more after how Sunday’s race went. The internal question of whether it’d be possible to run the World Championships (Tokyo) standard will remain unanswered. The draw of a visit to the magic track at Boston University next weekend hampered by the thought of racing four consecutive weekends hampered.
Instead, attention will move to the outdoor season. An appearance over the 5000m can be expected, plus a welcome return to the London Diamond League. For the first time in a while, this year will include a women’s 1500m. For now, all attention is on the banked track of The Amory.
The women’s 3000m at the Millrose Games is at 22:09 (UK time) tomorrow, Saturday 8 February.
