Jimmy Watkins (runner)

Last updated

James Watkins
Personal information
Born (1982-10-30) 30 October 1982 (age 42)
Sport
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Sport Athletics
Event 800 metres

Jimmy Watkins (born 30 October 1982) is a Welsh 800 metres runner. [1] [2]

In 2006, Watkins won the AAA Indoor Championships 800 metres in Sheffield and qualified for the IAAF World Indoor Championships, where he came 6th. [1]

Two years later, he gave up running and decided to pursue a career in music. He joined the rock band Future of the Left and later The Vega Bodegas. [3] [4]

In 2019, Watkins returned to running, now combined with his love of music. He founded the club Running Punks. [5] He has also become a social media sensation for his videos reviewing albums and singles as he runs. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Kipketer</span> Danish former middle distance runner (born 1972)

Wilson Kosgei Kipketer is a Danish former middle distance runner. With a personal best of 1:41.11, Kipketer is tied with Emmanuel Wanyonyi as the second fastest of all time over the 800 meter distance, behind David Rudisha. Kipketer set the world record and broke his own record two more times, all in 1997. He dominated the 800 m distance for a decade, remaining undefeated for a three-year period and running 8 of the 17 currently all-time fastest times. He won gold medals in three successive editions of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. Though unable to compete in the 1996 Olympics near the peak of his career, he earned silver in 2000 and bronze in 2004. Kipketer's 800 meters world record stood for almost 13 years. It was surpassed on 22 August 2010, when David Rudisha beat it by 0.02 seconds, running 1:41.09. Kipketer still currently holds the indoor world record for the 800 metres.

Marcus O'Sullivan is an Irish retired middle-distance runner. He competed for Ireland at four Summer Olympics. After Steve Scott and John Walker, he is the third all-time by total of sub-4 minute miles run over the course of his career, at 101.

Peter Elliott is a former middle-distance runner from the United Kingdom. During his career, he won the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, the silver medal in the 1500 metres at the 1988 Olympic Games, and the silver medal in the 800 metres at the 1987 World Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amine Laâlou</span> Moroccan middle-distance runner

Amine Laâlou is a Moroccan track and field athlete, who specializes in middle-distance running. He has represented his country at the Summer Olympics on two occasions; in 2004 and 2008. He began his career as an 800 metres specialist and made his global debut at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics. He won medals at smaller international competitions, including the 2004 Pan Arab Games and 2005 Mediterranean Games. He reached his first global final at the 2007 World Championships, taking sixth, and was a semi-finalist at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan de Dios Jurado</span> Spanish middle-distance runner

Juan de Dios Jurado is a Spanish middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Adar</span> Ugandan middle-distance runner

Jimmy Adar is a Ugandan middle-distance runner. He has represented his country at the Commonwealth Games twice, running in the heats at the 2006 Commonwealth Games before going on to finish fifth in the final of the 800 metres at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He has also competed at the African Games in 2007 and 2015, the African Championships in Athletics in 2008 and 2010, and was a bronze medallist at the 2005 African Junior Athletics Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Smith (runner)</span> New Zealand runner

Kimberley Smith is a New Zealand middle-distance and long-distance runner who retired in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Rowbury</span> American middle-distance runner

Shannon Solares-Rowbury is an American middle-distance runner from San Francisco, California. After competing collegiately for Duke University, she turned professional in 2007. Rowbury has represented the United States at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 2012, becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the event. She also represented the United States at the World Championships in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017, winning the bronze medal in the 1500 meters in 2009. In 2015, Rowbury helped set the world record with the U.S. team for the distance medley relay event, and set a then-American record for 1500 meters on July 17, 2015, breaking Mary Slaney's 32 year-old mark with a time of 3:56.29.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morhad Amdouni</span> French middle and long-distance runner

Morhad Amdouni is a French middle- and long-distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres and bronze for the 5000 metres at the 2018 European Athletics Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik Sowinski</span> American middle-distance runner

Erik Sowinski is an American middle-distance runner, who specializes in the 800 metres. He won a bronze medal in the event at the 2016 World Indoor Championships, and he is a three-time national champion. He also formerly held the American indoor record in the 600 meters. Sowinski has garnered recognition for pacing other athletes to fast times, often in high-profile competitions.

Kate Van Buskirk is a Canadian Olympian, cross-country and track runner, with 18 years National Team experience. She won bronze for Canada at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the 1500 m. She was named as an Athlete Director of Athletics Canada, in August 2019. She continues in this role as of August 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filip Ingebrigtsen</span> Norwegian middle-distance runner (born 1993)

Filip Mangen Ingebrigtsen is a Norwegian middle-distance runner who represents Sandnes Idrettslag. In 2016, Ingebrigtsen became European Champion at 1500 meters during the European Championships in Amsterdam, and took bronze over the same distance at the World Championships in 2017 in London. He previously held the Norwegian 1500m record with the time 3:30.01, set at a Diamond League meet in Monaco on 20 July 2018. At the 2019 London Diamond League Ingebrigtsen finished second to Samuel Tefera in the mile. With a time of 3:49.60 Ingebrigtsen ran a national record and new personal best.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Wightman</span> British middle-distance runner (born 1994)

Jake Wightman is a British middle-distance runner who primarily competes in the 1500 metres. He won the gold medal at the 2022 World Championships, the first global gold in a middle distance event for a British male since Seb Coe's 1500 m title at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. At the European Athletics Championships, Wightman earned a bronze in 2018 and a silver for the 800 metres in 2022. He won bronze medals at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yemaneberhan Crippa</span> Italian long-distance runner

Yemaneberhan "Yeman" Crippa is an Ethiopian-born Italian long-distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres and bronze for the 5000 metres at the European Athletics Championships in 2022, and bronze in the 10,000 m in 2018. Crippa claimed four medals in the age-group races at the European Cross Country Championships and a bronze in the senior race in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Arop</span> Canadian middle-distance runner (born 1998)

Marco Arop is a Canadian track and field athlete competing in the middle distance events. Arop is the reigning world champion in the 800 m, winning gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championship, after winning bronze the previous year at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. He was the first Canadian to win a world championship in the 800 m. Arop was also the 2019 Pan American Games champion in 800 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Gressier</span> French long-distance runner

Jimmy Gressier is a French middle- and long-distance runner. He won gold medals in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres at the 2019 European Under-23 Championships. Gressier claimed four individual medals at the European Cross Country Championships, including three U23 titles. He is the European record holder for the 5 km road race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryce Hoppel</span> American middle-distance runner (born 1997)

Bryce Hoppel is an American middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres. He is the reigning 800 metres world indoor champion having won gold at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. He also is a seven-time U.S. champion and two-time NCAA champion over the distance. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Hoppel set an American record in the event, with a time of 1:41.67 to become the seventh fastest man and the second fastest North American man at the distance.

José Carlos Villarreal Peinado is a Mexican middle-distance runner. He is the 2019 Pan American Games champion at 1500 meters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azeddine Habz</span> French runner (born 1993)

Azeddine Habz is a French middle- and long-distance runner. He won the bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the 2023 European Indoor Championships.

Ryan Clarke is a Dutch middle-distance runner. He is a multiple time Dutch national champion over 800 metres.

References

  1. 1 2 "James WATKINS". World Athletics .
  2. Adharanand Finn (10 June 2024). "Episode 38: Interview with running punk Jimmy Watkins". The Way of the Runner (Podcast).
  3. Mulkeen, Jon (14 January 2020). "Jimmy Watkins: running, rock 'n roll and The Ritz". World Athletics .
  4. Wales, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Runner (2 December 2020). "The Rock 'n' Roll Runner". Sport Wales .
  5. "How it began". Running Punks. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  6. "Twitter: Athlete Jimmy Watkins' running music reviews a hit". BBC News . 4 August 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2024.