Rose Davies is a double Commonwealth Games champion. Four nights after her historic 10,000m victory, Davies outkicked compatriot Jess Hull down the home straight to win the 5000m in 14:44.53, completing an Australian one-two ahead of Hull (14:45.01) with Scotland’s Megan Keith taking bronze in 14:49.10 in front of a roaring home crowd at Scotstoun.
Linden Hall, recovering from a minor stomach bug, finished seventh in 14:55.28.
Where Monday’s 10,000m was a stop-start tactical affair, this one was more honest from the gun. Kenya’s Caroline Nyaga took the field through the first kilometre in 3:03.17 with Hull sitting fifth, Davies just behind her, and Hall on the rail about twelve back. Splits of 3:04 and 2:58 brought the leaders through 3000m in 9:06 with the field strung out and Hall beginning to lose contact.
Then Keith went. Ninth in Monday’s 10,000m after a race she admitted got away from her, the Scot launched a long run for home with a mile still to run, driving the penultimate kilometre in 2:52. It was the same move she attempted over 3000m at the London Diamond League, and it produced the same result — run down late — but it broke the race apart. Only Davies and Hull could follow comfortably, with Nyaga and Uganda’s Chebet struggling to hold on.
Keith still led at the bell, but Davies struck with 200m to go and Hull drew level entering the straight. The two Australians ran stride for stride before Davies pulled away in the final 50 metres.
The closing numbers tell the story of just how hard the race finished. Davies covered the last 3000m in 8:35.4 — a time that was her personal best for the distance as recently as two years ago — and it only got faster: a final kilometre of 2:45.1, a last lap of 62.3, the final 200m in 28.5 and the last 100m in just 13.9 seconds.
“I can’t believe it!” Davies said.
“Having Jess on your shoulder with 100m to go is scary but I honestly just blacked out and was running as hard as I could.”
Both women were smiling across the line, knowing the enormity of the performance, and embraced after the finish.
“It means the world to me. As a little girl you watch the Commonwealth Games and see your idols on the screen, and you want that to be you,” the proud Novacastrian said.
For Hull, the silver fills the one gap in a remarkable collection. “It completes the set of medals. I didn’t have a Commonwealth Games medal yet, so I have one now,” she said. “The first thing was just to get a medal on the board, and I’m pretty happy with the silver. I get another chance to run for another medal on Saturday night.”
The Olympic 1500m silver medallist was candid about racing outside her specialty. “I realised quite early that my tactics in the 5000 metres are still pretty raw. I found myself not really knowing what to do as people were surging, moving up and changing positions,” Hull said.
“I was very grateful when Rose went past with about three laps to go because she knows what to do in those situations, so I thought, ‘I’m in good hands if I can just stay attached to Rose.'”
Did she think she could hold Davies off? “I think I realised at the top of the straight I might have been one card short, but I was always hoping that if I could just hold my form, I could get there. But no, she was incredible.”
“When I realised we were going to finish one-two, I was just so proud for Australia. I don’t think anyone would have guessed we’d have an Australian one-two in the 5000, so it’s very cool.”
For Keith, the bronze was redemption of a personal kind after Monday’s disappointment. “In hindsight, I didn’t race to my capabilities, and I think that’s what hurt the most. It wasn’t about not winning a medal or not winning the race. I judge everything based on myself rather than placings, and I knew I hadn’t done myself justice,” she said.
“I just know I race best when I make it hard for myself — and hopefully everyone around me. I did that tonight, and the medal is just a bonus that tops off a wonderful home championships.”
