Jo Pavey

About Jo Pavey

Joanne Marie Pavey MBE (née Davis, born 20 September 1973) is a British long-distance runner and a World, European and Commonwealth medallist. She won the 10,000 m gold medal at the 2014 European Championships in Zürich, ten months after giving birth to her second child, to become the oldest female European champion in history at the age of 40 years and 325 days.[2] She is coached by her husband and manager Gavin Pavey, with whom she has two children.

Pavey is a five-time Olympian, having represented Great Britain in every Olympic Games from 2000 to 2016. She is the only British runner and track event athlete to have competed in five games.[3] She is also the 2012 European Championship silver medallist in the 10,000 m and a two-time 5000 m medallist at the Commonwealth Games, winning silver in Melbourne 2006 and bronze in Glasgow 2014.

At global level, her best results include crossing the line fourth in the 10,000 m at the 2007 World Championships and fifth in the 5000 m at the 2004 Olympic Games. In 2015 media reports stated that 2007 silver medalist Elvan Abeylegesse had been found, on retesting, to have taken a prohibited substance, and suspended by IAAF. Confirmed in 2017, this elevates Pavey to the bronze medal, her first World Championship medal.[4]

Earlier in her career she competed in the 1500 metres, 3000 metres and 5000 metres distances. From 2007 onwards, she focused on longer distances, ranging from 5000 m to the marathon. She has personal best times of 4:01.79 (1500 m), 8:31.27 (3000 m), 14:39.96 (5000 m), 30:53.20 (10,000 m) and 2:28:24 (marathon). She ranks second behind Paula Radcliffe on the UK all-time list at both 5000 m and 10,000 m.