Jake Wightman

Jake Wightman (born 11 July 1994) is a Scottish 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.

He holds three Scottish records (800 m, 1000 m, mile) and is a two-time British champion.

Career
As a junior athlete, Wightman was the 2013 European Under-20 champion in the 1500 metres.

In April 2018, he won his first major senior medal, with bronze for the 1500 m at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where he also finished fourth in the 800 m. In June, he set a Scottish record for the 1000 m with a time of 2:16.27 at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, breaking the previous record which had stood since 1984. Wightman took bronze in the 1500 m at the Berlin European Athletics Championships in August. That year he became the first Briton to run below 1:45 in the 800 m and 3:35 in the 1500 m since Peter Elliott in 1991.

The 25-year-old placed fifth in the 1500 m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships held in Doha, Qatar, running 3:31.87 in the final.

In 2020, Wightman broke the Scottish 1500 m record with a time of 3:29.47, finishing in third place at the Monaco Diamond League.

At the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, he placed 10th in the event in a time of 3:35.09.

2022: World 1500 m champion
Wightman won the gold medal in the 1500 m event at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July with a personal best and world-leading time of 3:29.23, beating reigning Olympic champion and European record holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:29.47). It was the first British world 1500 m title since Steve Cram in 1983, the first Scottish world title on the track since Liz McColgan's 10,000 m gold in 1991, and ended a streak of seven consecutive golds in the event from Kenya-born runners. The mark moved him to third on the UK all-time list. His father, Geoff Wightman, former marathoner and long-time media commentator, called the race as in-stadium commentator. Wightman continued his good form in August by taking a bronze in his specialist event at the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022, and a silver for the 800 m at the European Championships held in Munich.

In September, he broke the 1:44-barrier in the 800 m for the first time, improving Tom McKean’s 33-year-old Scottish record of 1:43.88 in his fifth overall Diamond League victory with a time of 1:43.65 in Brussels. He capped his breakthrough season on the road a few days later, winning for the third time the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York (he also won in 2018 and 2021).

Across the season, Wightman set also Scottish records in the 1000 m and one mile, as well as revised his personal bests in the indoor 3000 m and road mile. He was named by Sports Journalists' Association Sportsman of the Year, while British Athletics Writers' Association awarded him John Rodda Award for British Male Athlete of the Year for the second time, among others.

2023: Injury
Going into the 2023 season, Wightman had high hopes of defending his 1500 m title at the World Championships in Budapest. However in January, after sustaining a freak foot injury during a gym session in South Africa, he was forced to spend 5 weeks in a boot, while cross-training to remain in good shape.

He returned to running that spring, aiming to be ready for Budapest, being able to skip qualification given his status as the reigning world champion. However after numerous achilles, shin, and hamstring issues, he decided to play it safe and focus on the 2024 Olympic year, withdrawing from the World Championships. In his absence, his childhood schoolmate and club colleague, Josh Kerr, succeeded him as world champion in the 1500 metres.

Personal life
Wightman attended Stewart's Melville College and Fettes College, both independent schools in Edinburgh, before studying at Loughborough University. Although born in England, Wightman moved to Linlithgow as a child and represents Scotland internationally.

His father and coach Geoff Wightman represented England in the marathon at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, whilst his mother Susan Tooby and his aunt Angela Tooby represented Great Britain at the Summer Olympics Seoul 1988.

Circuit wins, National titles

 * Diamond League
 * 2017 (2): Oslo Bislett Games (1500m, ), Birmingham Grand Prix (Mile)
 * 2022 (3): Rabat Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme (1500m), Monaco Herculis (1000m, PB), Brussels Memorial Van Damme (800m, S)
 * British Athletics Championships
 * 1500 metres: 2022
 * British Indoor Athletics Championships
 * 1500 metres: 2018

Personal bests

 * 800 metres – 1:43.65 (Brussels 2022) ( Scottish)
 * 800 metres indoor – 1:47.69 (Glasgow 2018)
 * 1000 metres – 2:13.88 (Monaco 2022) ( Scottish)
 * 1000 metres indoor – 2:17.51 (Boston 2020)
 * 1500 metres – 3:29.23 (Eugene 2022)
 * 1500 metres indoor – 3:34.06 (Boston 2024)
 * Mile – 3:50.30 (Oslo 2022) ( Scottish)
 * Mile indoor – 3:57.24 (Boston 2020)
 * Mile road – 3:50.0 (not legal) (New York City 2021)
 * 3000 metres indoor – 7:37.81 (New York City 2022)
 * 5k road - 13:52 (Leicester 2024)

Awards

 * British Athletics Writers' Association
 * John Rodda Award for British Male Athlete of the Year: 2020, 2022
 * Sports Journalists' Association
 * Sportsman of the Year: 2022
 * Scottish Athletics
 * Athlete of the Year: 2022
 * Performer of the Year: 2020 (with Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie)
 * Scottish Sports Awards
 * Male Athlete of the Year: 2022
 * Athletics Weekly
 * British Male Athlete of the Year: 2022
 * British Milers' Club
 * BMC Male Athlete of the Year: 2022