Stephanie April Twell (born 17 August 1989) is a British middle- and long-distance runner who competed at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She trains at Aldershot, Farnham & District AC. She won the 1500 metres at the 2008 World Junior Championships,Twell wins to boost Beijing hopes. BBC Sport. 13 July 2008. and is a three-time winner of the European Junior Cross Country Championships (2006–2008), as well as being part of four winning Great Britain teams. Representing Scotland, she won a bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Twell is currently sponsored by sports company Hoka One OneHOKA in three-year deal with Olympian Steph Twell. endurance.biz. 28 January 2022. and was previously sponsored by New Balance. She was coached by one of the nation's leading endurance coaches, Mick Woods, for 19 years, from 1998 to 2017. She is now self-coached.

Personal life Twell was born in Colchester, England. Twell announced in 2009 that she would compete for Scotland rather than England, and represented Scotland at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, despite running for Hampshire in the London Mini Marathon 2007 over Scotland. She is eligible to compete for Scotland as her mother is from Paisley. She married fellow runner Joe Morwood in the autumn of 2018. In May 2019, the couple broke the world record for the fastest 1 mile while holding hands.

Career Twell's personal best time for the 1500 metres is 4:02.70, set in Barcelona, Spain on 1 August 2010. She competed in the women's 1500 metres at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was eliminated in her heats running 4:06.68.

In September 2008, Twell was named European Athletics Rising Star of 2008. In January 2009 she was named "Telegraph Ten for 2012" – 10 of Britain's brightest young sports stars in The Daily Telegraph.

She began the 2009 cross country season well, winning at the Antrim International Cross Country.Landells, Steve (2 January 2009). Twell and Kiprop top the fields in Antrim – Antrim International Cross Country preview. IAAF. Retrieved on 26 January 2010. A few months later, Twell finished 38th in the 2009 World Cross Country Championships in Jordan. Although she was the fastest Briton in the race, she was disappointed with her performance and stated that she resolved to do better in the next championships.Kiplagat powers to world triumph. BBC Sport (28 March 2009). Retrieved on 30 March 2009.

She set a new personal best in the 5000 metres in May 2009, winning the Artur Takac Memorial in 15:18.47 – a meeting record.Ramsak, Bob (30 May 2009). Three meeting records fall in Belgrade. IAAF. Retrieved on 31 May 2009.

She had a disappointing run at the 2009 European Team Championships over 3000 m, finishing in fourth in a time well outside her PB. At the 2009 World Championships she was never in contention in her heat at 1500 m and then when one of the favourites she was only 11th in the European Cross Country Championships (under 23 race).

Her 2010 was marked by improvements in her personal bests on the track. She set a 1500 metres best at the Weltklasse Zurich Diamond League meeting, finishing third and ahead of Lisa Dobriskey with a time of 4:02.54.Mills, Steven (19 August 2010). Twell sets 1500m PB . Athletics Weekly. Retrieved on 5 September 2010. Stepping up to the 5000 m at the Memorial van Damme in Brussels, she smashed her previous best by 22 seconds to set a new Scottish record of 14.54.08, breaking Yvonne Murray's 15-year-old mark.Steph Twell smashes Yvonne Murray's Scottish record. BBC Sport (28 August 2010). Retrieved on 5 September 2010. She ran at the Women's 5K Challenge in London in August 2010 and took third place behind Sylvia Kibet and Linet Masai. Reflecting on the race, she said: "To run 15:32 is great for me and third was just what I aimed for."Brown, Matthew (5 September 2010). Masai wins 5k Challenge in London. IAAF. Retrieved on 5 September 2010. Twell suffered a fractured ankle competing in a cross-country race in Belgium in February 2011.Steph Twell suffers ankle fracture. BBC Sport (13 February 2011). Retrieved on 18 March 2011. A further foot injury in June 2012 ended her hopes of competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics.Inspired: British captain Dai Greene will use the plight of injured runner Steph Twell as motivation at Games – Daily Telegraph, 30 July 2012

Twell won the London 10,000 in 2018 and 2019.

Competition record

Representing / 2005 European Youth Olympic Festival Lignano, Italy 5th 1500 m 4:29.912006World Junior ChampionshipsBeijing, China8th1500 m4:16.58European Junior Cross Country ChampionshipsSan Giorgio su Legnano, Italy 1st4.1 km12:33 2007European Junior Cross Country ChampionshipsToro, Spain 1st4.2 km14:12European Junior ChampionshipsHengelo, Netherlands 2nd 1500 m4:16.032008World Junior ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland 1st1500 m4:15.09World Athletics FinalStuttgart, Germany 7th 3000 m 8:50.89Olympic GamesBeijing, China 6th (h)1500 m4:06.68European Junior Cross Country ChampionshipsBrussels, Belgium 1st4.2 km13:28 2009 World Cross Country ChampionshipsAmman, Jordan 38th 8 km 28:46 European Cross Country Championships Fingal, Ireland 11th 21:42 European Team Championships Super League Leiria, Portugal 4th 3000 m 9:09.65 2010European ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain7th1500 m4:02.70 Commonwealth GamesDelhi, India 3rd1500 m4:06.194th5000 m16:03.91 World Cross Country ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland 23rd 7.8 km 26:11 2013 World Cross Country ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland 40th 8 km 25:582014 European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country Albufeira, Portugal 7th Individ.Commonwealth GamesGlasgow, Scotland14th5000 m16:30.66 2015 European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country Guadalajara, Spain 4th Individ. 21:12World ChampionshipsBeijing, China12th5000 m15:26.242016World Indoor ChampionshipsPortland, Oregon6th3000 m09:00.38European ChampionshipsAmsterdam, Netherlands 3rd5000 m15:20.70Olympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazilheats5000 m15:25.902017 European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country Albufeira, Portugal 4th Individ. 21:52European Indoor ChampionshipsBelgrade, Serbia5th3000 m08:50.40World ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdomheats5000 m15:41.292018Commonwealth GamesGold Coast, Australia7th1500 m4:05.5614th5000 m16:05.65European ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany10th5000 m15:41.10 2019World ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar15th10,000 m31:44.79 European 10,000m Cup London, England 1st 10,000 m 31:08.132021Olympic GamesSapporo, Japan68thMarathon2:53:26 2022 European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country Oeiras, Portugal 9th Individ. 23:07

Circuit wins IAAF Cross Country Permit Meetings Belfast International (2009)

National titles British Championships 5000 m: 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 10,000 m: 2019 British Indoor Championships 3000 m: 2016 BUCS Championships: 5000 m: 2009 Cross Country: 2010

Circuit wins 2019Reading Half MarathonReading, United Kingdom1stHalf marathon1:11:37

Personal bests EventTimeVenueDate400 metres57.7Aldershot, England18 June 2016800 metres2:02.58Watford, England15 June 20161500 metres4:02.54Zurich, Switzerland19 August 2010One mile4:25.39London, England9 July 20173000 metres8:40.98Monaco, Monaco15 July 20165000 metres 14:54.08 Brussels, Belgium27 August 201010,000 metres31:08.13Parliament Hill, England6 July 2019Half marathon1:08:55Houston, USA19 January 2020Marathon2:26:40Frankfurt, Germany27 October 2019

All information (excluding 400m) taken from IAAF profile.Biographies: Twell, Stephanie. IAAF. Retrieved on 11 May 2022.

References

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