Keely Hodgkinson's 800m World Record Attempt: London Diamond League Preview

Keely Hodgkinson targets Jarmila Kratochvilova's 1:53.28 800m world record at the London Diamond League on 19 July 2026. What she needs, and how Audrey Werro changed the race.

· 4 min read · Athletics News

The most anticipated middle-distance race of the year is now set. Britain's Olympic 800m champion **Keely Hodgkinson** has said she believes she can break the oldest record in track and field — **Jarmila Kratochvilova's 1:53.28**, set in 1983 — in front of a home crowd at the **London Diamond League on 19 July 2026**.

Why 2026 is the year to try

For 43 years the women's 800m world record barely moved. In 2026 it suddenly looks reachable, largely because of Switzerland's **Audrey Werro**, who has already run **1:53.80** and **1:53.98** this season — the first sub-1:54 clockings since 1983. Read our [Audrey Werro 800m record watch](/blog/audrey-werro-800m-world-record) for how close the record already is.

Hodgkinson opened her outdoor season with a **1:54.33** personal best in Stockholm, then set an indoor world record earlier in the winter. Her stated plan has been to build toward a record attempt in London, and Werro's absence from the 800m until August (she is resting before the European Championships) leaves the London stage to Hodgkinson.

What she needs

| Split | Target pace for 1:53.2 | | --- | --- | | 400m | ~55.5 seconds | | 600m | ~1:24 | | Finish | 1:53.2 or faster |

That requires going out at a pace that has broken most contenders in the closing 200m. The difference in 2026 is the strength in depth: with several women capable of sub-1:56, a fast, honestly paced race is far more likely than the tactical crawls that protected the record for decades.

The road to London

Hodgkinson was scheduled to sharpen up against a quality field at the Prefontaine Classic on 4 July before the London attempt, with training partner **Georgia Hunter Bell** also in the London field. A packed 60,000-strong home crowd is exactly the environment a record attempt thrives in.

Whether the record falls on 19 July or not, the women's 800m is in its greatest era. For the wider picture from the last month of racing, see our [Paris Diamond League 2026 recap](/blog/paris-diamond-league-2026).

More middle-distance reading

- [Audrey Werro 800m world record watch](/blog/audrey-werro-800m-world-record) - [800m world record](/blog/800m-world-record) — men's and women's progression - [Mile world record](/blog/mile-world-record) - Generate split times for any track distance with our [splits calculator](/tools/splits)

**Find races:** Browse [running events in London](/races/united-kingdom/london) and across the UK on Your Run Guide.