From Elliot Giles’ website
Elliot Giles is currently one of the fastest middle-distance runners in the world. And after breaking a 38 year old British National Record last week, he’s also one of the fastest in history. More specifically, his latest 800 Meter performance of 1:43.63 is the 2nd fastest indoor 800m in track and field history. Not to mention the fastest in the world this year.
At 26 years of age, Giles has been building consistency and success over the last few years. He has won 5 British National titles, including 3 consecutive titles at 800m from 2016-2018. He also took bronze at the 2016 European Championships and represented his country at the Rio Olympics in 2016.While all those accolades are quite impressive on their own, this most recent performance undoubtedly elevates him to the very top of the sport and has people looking at him not only as a favorite to make the Tokyo Olympic Team for Great Britain, but also a medal contender.
Giles took almost a full second off of his previous personal best from outdoor track and almost 2 full seconds off his previous best from indoor track, which typically has slower times. Elliot even surprised himself with this one. “I’m still trying to process what even just happened.” Giles said immediately after the race. “I can’t believe I just ran 1:43 indoors.”
To make this story even more impressive, consider that just over 6 years ago, Giles could barely even walk. In the summer of 2014, he was hospitalized with head, back and leg injuries that resulted from a car swerving in front of his motorbike. His knee was crushed between the car and his motorbike. He was bedridden for weeks and couldn’t run for over 6 months following the accident. Doctors told him he may never run competitively again. Not only did it take time for him to come back from that physically, but Elliot admits the mental struggle was also a major hurdle. Return he has, not only to his previous ability, but is exceeding it by leaps and bounds.
As Giles has reached higher levels of success in the sport, it’s been even more important for him to stay injury free. While the traumatic car accident was one of Elliot’s biggest setbacks, all runners know it’s the injuries that come from over training that more commonly present a problem, particularly for high level track and field athletes. For Giles, his Achilles tendon has given him the most trouble. So as Giles puts it, he chose to further invest in his craft and purchased an ElliptiGO bike to supplement his training. In just over a year of ElliptiGO training, he’s seen what a difference it’s made for him as an athlete. He joins hundreds of other professional athletes that have found their way to ElliptiGO training integration as a way to help reduce injury risks and reach higher performance goals.
“The ElliptiGO has revolutionized my training. It’s become my secret weapon. I’m an 800m athlete who runs 3-4 times per week, totaling at most 15-20 miles.” Giles said of his training.
Elliot training on his ElliptiGO bike in South Africa
For many people, conventional thought tells them 15-20 miles a week seems quite low for a professional middle distance runner. And it should be noted that Giles also ran a huge personal best in the 1500m this month, running 3:36.90. That converts to about a 3:54 Mile. Most top level 800 meter runners are pretty specific to the event and don’t often see that kind of success at the longer distances. This further shows the strength that Giles has from his varied training integration. “It’s a very small amount of running, but it’s made possible because I substitute runs for ElliptiGO rides. It’s truly the closest thing I have found to running without the impact.”
Giles has not only travelled extensively for race competitions, but also for training camps. “The ElliptiGO has travelled the world with me” Giles said. “I made a bag out of curtains to store the bike for flights, allowing me to take the bike on training camps. It truly is a game changer and has made a huge difference in my training.”
Elliot training on his ElliptiGO bike in Dubai
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If you follow Elliot on social media, or his new YouTube page, you’ll see that he’s been pretty resourceful with DIY skills that span several areas. Including his renovation of a mini bus that he converted into a mobile home! Elliot Giles has proven himself as a very talented and hardworking athlete that is inspiring others with his positive attitude and outlook on life. Among many others, the ElliptiGO community is excited to follow his journey this Olympic year and beyond. We encourage you to follow along as well.
Elliot Giles on Social Media
Instagram: @elliot_levi_giles
Twitter: @ElliotLeviGiles
YouTube: UNORTHODOX
To learn more about professional athletes and how they integrate ElliptiGO training, please visit our Athletes page and contact us directly at [email protected]