Julia Bleasdale

Julia Bleasdale (born 9 September 1981) is a British-born long-distance runner, currently representing Germany internationally, who competes in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. She represented Great Britain at both distances in the London Olympics, placing eighth in both finals with a personal best time of 30:55.63 in the longer distance.

She also competed for Great Britain in cross country running and won the team gold at the 2011 European Cross Country Championships. She won the bronze medal in the 5000 m at the 2012 European Athletics Championships.

Career Born in Hillingdon, she competed in middle-distance events in her early years. Bleasdale began studying a degree in engineering at Cambridge University and it was during her time there that she gradually started to focus on longer distance races. In 2004, her final year at Cambridge, she won the British 10 km in London and represented Great Britain for the first time at the Chiba International Ekiden, where she ran a 5K leg of the relay.

The 2012 season saw Bleasdale break through in track events. Having started training with Australian coach Nic Bideau in late 2011, she ran a personal best of 31:29.57 minutes for the 10,000 metres at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, raising her to fifth on the British all-time lists. She placed third in the 5000 m British Olympic trials and came fourth in the event at the 2012 European Athletics Championships. Several years later, her result was upgraded to bronze, following disqualifications for doping.

Having been selected for both long-distance track events at the 2012 London Olympics, she ran two personal bests of 15:02.00 minutes and 30:55.63 minutes and placed eighth in the finals of both 5000 m and 10,000 m events.

Bleasdale started the 2014 season in good form, winning the Carlsbad 5000 road race in a time of 15:06 minutes, but injury would prevent her from competing in either the Commonwealth Games or European Championships that year.

In March 2016, Bleasdale announced that she had changed her international allegiance and would represent Germany in future. She has held dual British-German nationality since birth.

Competition record

Personal bests 3000 metres – 8:46.38 min (2012) 5000 metres – 15:02.00 min (2012) 10,000 metres – 30:55.63 min (2012) 10K run – 33:00 min (2005)