“There’s a moment in Jack’s races,” says Neil Danby, “when he is literally floating across the ground. He’s at optimal speed, optimal power. And when I see that, I’m seeing an Olympic finalist.”
Ex-Olympian and ex-Olympic assistant coach Neil is now the seniors’ coach at Holland Sports Athletics Club in Oxted, and the man who is helping Hurst Green’s Jack Kavanagh, 24, through his blistering transformation from casual runner to Olympic hopeful.
Jack, who is also a part-time teacher at St Stephen’s Primary School in Godstone, attended Hurst Green Infant School, Holland Junior School and Oxted School. His affiliation with Holland Sports Athletics Club goes back to when he was 10, although his teenage years were focused on football. When team sports stopped during the pandemic, Jack started running again.
“I was working for Crystal Palace’s Palace For Life Foundation, and took up one of their 2021 London Marathon charity spaces. I’d never run that distance before and didn’t train as much as I should have, but I finished in three hours and four minutes. Somebody suggested I join a running club, so I went back to Holland Sports.
Coming out of lockdown, it was nice to be part of a group again. There’s a lovely atmosphere at the club and that’s where I met Neil, whose specialism is the 5k.”
Neil says Jack’s progression in such a short space of time has been unreal:
“It’s not just down to his ability and dedication, but his mindset as well. I’ve trained Olympians but I’ve never met anybody like Jack. It was his mindset that got me thinking about how far he potentially could go.”
When Neil says Jack’s progression is ‘unreal’, it is perhaps most effectively illustrated by his 5k time, which has fallen from just under 20 minutes to his current personal best of 13:48, which he achieved representing England for the first time during August’s Home Nations race in Cardiff. He finished in second place, just one second behind Iceland’s Baldvin Magnusson, and closing a gap of 25m in the final 800m.
However, it was Jack’s first elite race, the PUL5K Friday Night Under the Lights, in Battersea Park in February, when he came second with a time of 14:03, that really cemented the idea that something special could be happening.
“I went into that race not really knowing where I was going with my running, but the result instilled in me a belief of what I could be capable of, and I went part-time at work shortly after, as a result.”
As well as Neil’s expert coaching, Jack has also received coaching from ex-professional footballer Nicky Forster, who also grew up in Hurst Green.
“Nicky has been great. He’s shared tips on mindset, nutrition and sleep, all the different areas of an athlete’s life, but he’s also really helped me manage what we call my ‘distress period’, which kicks in around 3.5k, the toughest part of a 5k, by teaching me methods to mentally break up the stages of the race.”
Jack is grateful for the support he receives from his family and friends, not to mention from everybody at Holland Sports.
“When I had my Home Nations race, in my first England vest, the club put it on the big screen. My sister was there and she filmed people’s reactions, and it was shown to me just after I finished. It brought me to tears – seeing that many people watching my race was absolutely brilliant!
Many things go through your mind when you run, but what keeps you going is that sense of belonging. Having good support really helps.”
Neil has been blown away by it all:
“In my whole life of athletics and coaching, I’ve never seen anything like the support this community shows Jack, as well as the men’s, women’s and youngsters’ teams.”
Jack is also inspired by the children who see him as a role model.
“When I’m really struggling in a race, I think of the class I teach. They can’t ever see me quit, so I keep going. I want them to see that if they set their mind to doing something, even if it’s hard, they can achieve it.
The children I teach and the support I get all mixes together to give me that final push in my races. I’ve become a bit renowned for my kick at the end – I give it everything I’ve got!”
With the cross country season now underway, Jack’s focus is on the European Cross Country Championships trials, which take place in Liverpool on 23 November, and where he is hoping to gain a place on the GB team for the event in Antalya, Turkey, in December. And his ambitions only get bigger in 2025: not only will he become a full-time athlete in January, he is also eyeing pre-selection for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, another step on the pathway to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Follow Jack’s progress, or contact him for sponsorship opportunities, via Instagram.
