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Jessica Hull is set to take on Mary Moraa in the inaugural leg of the 2025 Grand Slam Track in Kingston.
Olympic 1500m silver medalist Jesicca Hull has explained how the challenge of racing Mary Moraa in the 800 meters at the first leg of the 2025 Grand Slam Track in Kingston will set her up well to close the margins on Faith Kipyegon further down the road.
Hull, who is set to participate in two events at the Grand Slam Track, with the other event being her specialist 1500 meters, was Kipyegon’s closest challenger last season, pushing her into smashing the world record at that event last July.
She also smashed the 2000 meter world record before the Olympics, where she went on to take second place.
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Apart from Moraa, Hull will also race the likes of Natoya Goule-Toppin and Susan Ejore, other formidable middle-distance races.
But as she looks ahead to the 2025 campaign, she’s focused on evolving, and that means racing out of her comfort zone.
Speaking to the media before the race, Hull explained how racing Moraa will be a challenge that will help her down the road.
“It’s definitely a stacked field. It’s going to be really interesting,” Hull said of the women’s 800m lineup.
“I think the way the 800 and 1500 are ordered changes the dynamic slightly at each Slam, so it always keeps things unpredictable.”
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For Hull, the weekend in Kingston offers a chance to study her competitors and learn how their strengths might influence the 1500m.
“I haven’t raced a lot of the women I’ll be lining up with this weekend. I’ve raced with Mary Moraa before, but for most of them, it’ll be a first. I’m just excited to learn their skill sets and see how that plays out in the 1500 - how we all fit within that race.”
With the season still in its infancy, Hull is approaching Kingston with a mix of competitive fire and strategic thinking. She's not focused on times, but on tactics.
“It’s early April. It’s about racing, not time trialing,” she said.“So it could actually be a lot closer and more competitive in both the 800 and 1500 than it might look on paper. Everyone has their strengths, and I’m sure they’re aware of where they’re at in this early part of the season.”
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Moraa, known for her explosive front-running, poses a particularly intriguing challenge for Hull.
“I’m probably most excited to race against Mary because there’s still this element of the unknown with her for me,” Hull said. “I’ve seen what she’s done -her medals, her times in the 800 - and I genuinely believe I have a good 800m in me, I just need to bring it out.”
Hull sees this race not only as a test of her speed but as a growth opportunity that will pay dividends when it’s time to face Kipyegon again.
“Racing someone so accomplished might help me tap into that,” she added. “Who knows how things will evolve as the season goes on, but I think having someone as established as Mary in the 800 will really help pull the rest of us 1500m women along. And hopefully, we can do the same for her when it comes to the 1500.”
As the first leg of the Grand Slam Track approaches, Hull will be keen on refining her racing in order to keep closing the gap on the greatest middle-distance runner of them all.
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