Jake Wightman (born 11 July 1994) is a British middle-distance runner who competes mainly 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. Sidelined by injury in the two years immediately after his world title, in his comeback year Wightman won the silver medal in the 1500 metres at the 2025 World Athletic Championships, becoming the first British athlete to medal twice in the event at the World Championships..
He holds two Scottish records (800 m and 1000 m) 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.
2023–2024: Injuries Going into the 2023 season, Wightman had aimed to defend his 1500 m title at the World Championships in Budapest. However, in January, after sustaining a foot injury, he spent 5 weeks in a boot and cross-trained. Wightman was able to run by the spring, aiming to be ready for Budapest. He was able to skip qualification given his status as the reigning world champion. However, after numerous achilles, shin, and hamstring issues, he withdrew from the World Championships. In his absence, his childhood schoolmate and club colleague, Josh Kerr, succeeded him as world champion in the 1500 metres.
In 2024, after missing the British Championships due to a calf injury, Wightman was selected to represent Great Britain in the 800 metres at the Paris Olympics. He pulled out just days before he was scheduled to race because of a hamstring injury. In autumn, Wightman made the decision to switch his training base from Teddington to Manchester so he could be closer to his physiotherapist.
2025–present
In March 2025, Wightman announced he would no longer be coached by his father Geoff. He is now coached by John Hartigan. In September 2025, Wightman won a silver medal in the 1500 metres at the 2025 World Athletic Championships.
On 10 July 2026, at the Monaco Diamond League, Wightman improved his Scottish record in the 1000 metres to 2:12.77, finishing second to Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who set a new world record of 2:11.83.
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.
Wightman has a twin brother. 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.
Wightman is engaged to former Irish international middle-distance runner Georgie Hartigan.
Achievements International competitions 2013European Junior ChampionshipsRieti, Italy1st1500 m3:44.142014Commonwealth GamesGlasgow, Scotland16th (h)1500 m3:43.872016European ChampionshipsAmsterdam, Netherlands7th1500 m3:47.682017World ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom20th (sf)1500 m3:41.792018World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom6th1500 m3:58.91Commonwealth GamesGold Coast, Australia4th800 m1:45.823rd1500 m3:35.97European ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany3rd1500 m3:38.252019World ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar5th1500 m3:31.872021Olympic GamesTokyo, Japan10th1500 m3:35.092022World ChampionshipsEugene, OR, United States1st1500 m3:29.23Commonwealth GamesBirmingham, United Kingdom3rd1500 m3:30.53European ChampionshipsMunich, Germany2nd800 m1:44.912025World ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan2nd1500 m3:34.122026Commonwealth GamesGlasgow, United Kingdom6thMile3:56.36European ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom6th1500 m3:37.18World Ultimate ChampionshipBudapest, Hungary9th1500 m3:31.56
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 – 2:12.77 (Monaco 2026) ( 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
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