British runner Melissa Courtney-Bryant

Melissa Courtney-Bryant is a British middle- and long-distance runner. She won the bronze medal in the 1,500m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and bronze for the 3,000m at the 2019 and 2023 European Indoor Championships. She is also a two-time British indoor champion.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant was born on August 30, 1993, in Poole, England. She initially focused on swimming, but at the age of twelve switched to running. She showed great skills and talent, making her one of the top British athletes.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant started her competitive career already in 2007 by winning the gold in a mile run at the Solihull BMC Nike Grand Prix. In the next season she earned also the 1,500m bronze at the Gateshead English Schools Championships and again made a strong performance at the Solihull BMC Nike Grand Prix, winning the silver in a mile run.

During the next seasons, Melissa Courtney-Bryant continue gaining experience in local school and junior championships, grabbing a lot of honors, such as 800m gold at the Cardiff UK Schools Games in 2009, 800m bronze at the Hendon Junior Athletics League in 2010, 1,500m silver medals at the Chelmsford NJL Southern Premier Division and Derby National Junior League Final in 2011.

In 2012, Melissa Courtney-Bryant debuted at the national championships, finishing 8th in 1,500m at the Sheffield UK Indoor Championships. She continue the season by improving her results and finished 6th at the Sheffield BUCS Indoor Championships and 7th at the London BUCS Championships, both in 1,500m. She earned the 800m gold at the Bournemouth Dorset County U20 Championships and also finished 7th in 1,500m at the Birmingham England Championships.

In 2013, Melissa Courtney-Bryant started the season strongly by winning the 800m silver at the Birmingham Inter Varsity Meeting, before claiming her first national honor, earning the 1,500m bronze at the Sheffield UK Indoor Championships. At the BUCS Indoor Championships, she triumphed with the 1,500m gold in Sheffield and Bedford, before winning the 1,500m silver at the Bedford England U23 Championships. Melissa Courtney-Bryant competed also at the Birmingham UK Championships in 1,500m, but failed to qualify for the finals in a fierce competition. Meanwhile, at the Bromley UK Women’s League, she won silver in 800m and bronze in 1,500m.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant won another national honor at the Sheffield UK Indoor Championships in 2014, claiming the 1,500 m bronze. She continue the indoor season by competing at the Birmingham British Athletics Grand Prix, but finished 8th in 1,500m. Melissa Courtney-Bryant earned the 1,500m silver at the Sheffield BUCS Indoor Championships and Loughborough International, before winning the gold medals at the prestigious Riga Cup 2014, Manchester BMC Grand Prix, Geneve AtletiCAGeneve – EAP International Meeting, and Bedford England Athletics U23 Championships. She closed the season by fantastic 1,500m gold at the Merksem Antwerp Athletics Gala.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant made her debut on big international championship in 2015, competing at the Tallinn European U23 Championships in 1,500m, but finished 10th in the final. However, during the season she did not recorded some significant result and achievements, missing the honors in national championships and most prestigious events she competed.

In 2016, Melissa Courtney-Bryant started the season by winning the 1,500m silver at the Sheffield BUCS Indoor Championships, but finished 7th at the Sheffield British Indoor Championships. She returned to the good results at the Manchester BMC Grand Prix, earning the 1,500m bronze, but also won the silver at the Birmingham British Athletics GP. At the Birmingham UK Championships, however, again missed the honors by finishing 7th in the 1,500m final. Melissa Courtney-Bryant competed at the Amsterdam European Athletics Championships, but again failed to qualify for the finals. By the end of the season, she did not recorded some significant success, but competed in 10km at the Corrida Pédestre Internationale de Houilles, finishing 5th.

In 2017, Melissa Courtney-Bryant was determined to show her skills during the season and to start collecting achievements and honors from major championships. She started the season by winning the 1,500m bronze at the Glasgow BMC and 1,500m gold at the Sheffield BUCS Indoor Championships. She competed at the Hengelo FBK Games in 1,500m, but finished only 9th, as well as Birmingham British Championships, finishing 5th. Melissa Courtney-Bryant ran at the Golden Label’s London Muller Anniversary Games in a mile race, but again missed the honors and finished 8th. Meanwhile, she earned the 1,500m silver at the Dublin Morton Games and competed at the Taipei Universiade. Her biggest achievement came at the end of the season when she earned the gold at the 24th SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Samorin.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant kept her great form in 2018 and started the season by winning the 3,000m gold at the Eaubonne Meeting Elite, as well as 1,500m silver at the Brisbane Queensland International Track Classic and 1,500m bronze at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. During the season, she also earned the 5,000m silver at the Birmingham British Championships and debuted in the Diamond League in 1,500m at the Athletissima Lausanne, but finished 10th. Melissa Courtney-Bryant competed at the Berlin European Athletics Championships in 1,500m and narrowly missed the honors by finishing 5th. She finished 5th in 1,500m at the Birmingham Diamond League and competed at the Diamond League Final at the Weltklasse Zurich to finish 12th.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant started 2019 season by winning the 3,000m gold at the Karlsruhe Indoor Meeting, Messehalle, Karlsruhe and the 3,000m silver at the Birmingham UK Indoor Championships, before winning her most prestigious achievement so far by winning the 3,000m bronze at the Glasgow European Indoor Championships. She competed at the Stockholm Diamond League’s BAUHAUS-galan, finishing 8th in 5,000m. She also took part at the Monaco and London Diamond League, but again missed the honors.

In 2020, Melissa Courtney-Bryant won her first national title by triumphing at the Glasgow UK Indoor Championships in 3,000m. She continue the season by two more prestigious wins at the Paavo Nurmi Games and Goteborg Friidrott GP in 1,500m.

In 2021, Melissa Courtney-Bryant started strongly by winning the 3,000m bronze at the Indoor Meeting – Karlsruhe and 1,500m bronze at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais, but missed the rest of the season due to injury. This included also missing the Olympics Trials.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant returned to competitive athletics during the 2022 summer season, winning the 5,000m bronze at the Payton Jordan Invitational. She also competed at the Rabat Diamond League, Eugene World Athletics Championships, Munich European Athletics Championships, and Birmingham XXII Commonwealth Games, but missed the honors. Meanwhile, she won the 1,500m silver at the Muller UK Athletics Championships. On December 24, 2022, she set unofficial parkrun world record of 15 minutes 31 seconds in Poole.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant had another strong season in 2023, winning the 3,000m bronze at the Istanbul European Athletics Indoor Championships and also claimed her second national title at the Birmingham UK Indoor Championships. During the season she also won the 3,000m silver at the Boston New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, 1,500m gold at the Meeting Stanislas Nancy, 1,500m bronze at the Manchester UK Championships. She also competed in the Diamond League and Budapest World Athletics Championships, but missed the honors.

In 2024, Melissa Courtney-Bryant claimed her first Diamond League honor by winning the 2,000m silver Herculis Meeting International d’Athletisme EBS in Monaco. Meanwhile, during the season, she won the 1,500m gold at the Meeting Madrid 2024 and Hengelo FBK Games, 1,500m silver at the Night of Athletics in Heusden-Zolder, as well as the 3,000m bronze at the 60° Palio Citta della Quercia in Rovereto.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant started 2025 season strongly as well, by claiming the 3,000m gold at the Boston New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, improving her personal best to 8:28.69 min.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant in numbers

1x European Cross Country Champion
2x European Indoor Championships bronze medalist
1x Commonwealth Games bronze medalist
2x National Indoor champion
Personal best: 3:58.01 min (1,500m), 5:26.08 min (2,000m), 8:28.69 min (3,000m), 14:53.82 min (5,000m)

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