It started as a “joke” but star middle-distance runner Jess Hull is giving herself a serious shot at making history at the Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney this weekend.

Though she’ll have to overcome a brutal timetable and an emerging challenge to do just that.

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Hull, the 2024 Olympic 1500m silver medallist, is back on Australian soil after claiming two medals at the World Indoors two weeks ago in Poland, a silver in the 1500m and a bronze over 3000m.

The 29-year-old is one of the big drawcards for the nationals starting Thursday and fans will get to see plenty of her as she attempts to enter rare air, completing an 800m, 1500m and 5000m treble that will push her to the limits.

The workload involved in the three events is exhausting but there’s an added hurdle. The 5000m final will be contested just 33 minutes after the start of the 800m on Sunday afternoon.

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“It started as a joke with Dad [her coach Simon Hull] and Daniel [her husband] and me at training in November because at this point in an Olympic cycle we’re not really super specific on one event,” Hull told reporters on Wednesday.

“We’re working on every end of my range. And in the middle of November when you’re trying to get fit, sometimes you need some extra motivation. And then we joked about maybe we want to triple at Nationals.

“I went away and thought about it and I was like, I actually really want to triple at Nationals. I asked Dad if he was serious and he was like, yes, if you want to do it, just try it.

“So it came from a bit of a joke as some motivation and then turned into some actual motivation and came from there.”

Silver medallist, Jessica Hull of Team Australia, poses for a photo during the medal ceremony for the Women’s 1500m Final during day three of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 2026 at Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena on March 22, 2026 in Torun, Poland. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Hull is backing herself to achieve the feat, declaring “I want to win and I believe I can. That’s why I’m trying those kinds of things” – but her priority is bossing the 1500m.

To do so she will have to beat Victorian Claudia Hollingsworth, who, like Hull, made the semi-finals in the 800m at the World Championships last year in Tokyo.

Oddly, Hollingsworth, who turns 21 on Sunday, has never raced against her inspiration Hull, and is embracing the chance after a breakthrough 1500m performance in Melbourne at the Maurie Plant meet has her primed to push for an upset.

In Melbourne, Hollingsworth beat Britain’s newly crowned World Indoor 1500m champion Georgia Hunter Bell, who defeated Hull in the Poland final, to give her a surge in belief ahead of her maiden battle with Hull.

“To be one of the best in the world you have to race the best in the world,” Hollingsworth told Fox Sports Australia.

“I think I raced it really well in the sense that I was racing my own race. I was just out there confident and wanted to take on the opportunity and see how it went, and it’s just not looking at who’s on the start line, even though I respect Georgia’s racing so, so much and respect the elite level she’s at.

“But beating Georgia was an incredible confidence booster just to know that I can get against the best in the world.”

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A former Aussie Rules footy player who chose track spikes over a Sherrin, Hollingsworth’s rapid rise is proving her decision a savvy one.

“I’m really enjoying the challenge and the excitement of it and all the amazing opportunities that come with the sport that we do,” she said.

“I’m just really working on that mental side as well. Physically training is going really well and if I can get that edge on the competition day of just being able to bring that confidence, that’s really what I need.

“I’ve been working on that, just going out there and owning my spot and reflecting on the work that I’ve done. Trying in those big races to bring that mindset into races and that’s been really helping.”

Claudia Hollingsworth reacts after winning the Women’s 1500m during the 2026 Maurie Plant Meet at Lakeside Stadium on March 28, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Hollingsworth is coached by Australia’s 5000m record holder Craig Mottram, who started with her when she was just 12. There was clearly little iPad time in her household as a kid; her twin sister Gemma sang on The Voice and her other sister Sunday is a trampolinist and footy player.

“I think she’s got a very strong personality; she’s very resilient, she’s grounded, she has a great family,” Mottram told the ABC of his young charge.

“She’s got an exceptional ability, physically and mentally, to perform at the highest possible level, but in doing so keeps things very realistic and has a good time doing it.

“She’s shown me a lot around the development of a young athlete, keeping a balance in life, having a home life and keeping consistency with things that you love doing.

“You can do all of that and still be one of the best in the world.”

The next step is taking on another of the “best in the world”.

“We haven’t raced together yet so it’s really exciting going head to head,” Hollingsworth told Fox Sports Australia.

“I respect so much the way Jess races and I’ve taken so much inspiration and belief in how strong she is.

“I think she’s awesome.”

Australia’s Jessica Hull celebrates after competing in the women’s final 1500 metres event during the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 2026 in Torun, Poland on March 22, 2026. (Photo by Wojtek RADWANSKI / AFP)Source: AFP

They will tangle first for medals in the 1500m with the final on Friday night at 8.19pm and that will be a battle of wills, no matter how nicely they talk about each other in the lead up.

“The way the meet is set up, the 1500m is first and that’s the priority event,” said Hull.

“That’s where the internal pressure comes from as well. That’s my event and the rest of the weekend it’s just fun at that point.”

Sunday sounds more like hell than fun. The 800m final will be contested in the heat of the afternoon at 12:55pm, with the athletes stepping up to the start line for the 5000m at 1.28pm.

Is there a danger she will be spread too thin?

“Not at all,” said Hull.

“I just have a lot of trust in what my Dad sees; similar with Daniel too.

“If they think it’s a good idea and if they’re confident, I’m confident. We’ve touched on everything in training. Half an hour, I think, given the order of things, the 800 first and then the 5K, I think that’s fine.

“I might completely change my mind about four laps into that 5K!”