Jude Thomas

BIOGRAPHY

Queensland distance runner Jude Thomas has been one of the revelations of the 2025 season, now top-6 in the 1500m and 5000m on the Australian all-time list. His athletics journey, initially through parkrun, was hampered by the COVID years and then injury. But for an accident and illness his breakthrough season could have been in 2024. Jude also respects the sport, understanding where his performances place him. He also has a very high regard for his coach Collis Birmingham. “I have faster PBs than him over 1500 and 5000 but I’m a long way off being a better runner than he was.”

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Jude’s early years in sport and athletics were fairly standard journey. He was very active, participated in various sports like soccer and jogged locally and in parkrun from about the age of 12. His Dad Michael Thomas, who was a keen ultramarathoner running 100km races, encouraged him to do parkruns. Athletics got a little more serious in years 8/9 at school where he ran track and cross country. His mates were running, so he thought he could see his mates more if he went to training. Age 15 (in 2017) he made his first Queensland state XC team. He made many more cross country and track teams over the next couple of years, but didn’t always go to nationals. Jude was also getting very committed to his athletics, he was not into the party scene. He noted his life was just school and running.

Aged 17 in 2019, Jude was starting to post some impressive times (3:49, 8:22, 14:23) and winning the National U18 3000m title. Then COVID hit and he just concentrated on training. Over the summer of 2020/21 (aged 19 at the end of summer), he recorded some stunning junior times – 3:42.95 (1500m), 7:52.11 (3000m) and 13:53.25 (5000m). The 3000m time was an Australian record, taking five seconds off Ryan Gregson’s 11-year-old mark. He won the national junior 1500m and 5000m titles and was selected in the Australian team for the delayed 2021 World U20 Championships. Unfortunately, Australia opted not to send a team to Kenya.

At the 2021 Nationals he had spoken to Nic Bideau and Collis Birmingham and then joined the Melbourne Track Club team. In June 2021 he broke Liam Adams’ parkrun record clocking 14:02 at the local Kedron parkrun. In late 2021 he suffered a bad calf injured.

During his 2022 and 2023 campaigns he made solid progress bring his PBs to 3:41/7:47/13:45 in 2022 and 3:38 in 2023. He also won the national 3000m titles both years.

“While I was competing at a decent level domestically, 2022 and 2023 fell apart for me with injuries and sickness as I struggled to adapt to the new training program. At the time I thought it wasn’t my fault but upon reflection I was clueless. Incredibly inconsistent with gym and training locations and time management.

Although it looked like, on the surface, only steady progress in 2024, behind the scenes Jude could see significant progress. His highlighted was a 13:33 5000m PB. He also dabbled in a new event, the 3000m steeplechase. He was unable to win a three-peat in the National 3000m falling in the race and injuring his ribs. Such was the injury, he didn’t return to form until July and ready to really impress, he then suffered food poisoning in Spain where he was unable to get out of bed for a week.

His breakthrough 2025 season may have been a surprise to many, but not to Jude and his squad. Running indoors in the USA he jumped 40 places on the Australian 5000m all-time list to land at #5 clocking 13:09.36. At Nationals he just missed the podiums placing fourth in the 1500m and 5000m against highly competitive fields in thrilling races.  In May he had a big 3000m win in a PB 7:39.69. But it was in the 1500m he was making consistent progress, starting with a best of 3:37.01 he set four PBs, eventually reaching 3:32.07 in Ostrava in June. 10 days later he also ran 3:32.35 and importantly both times were under the qualifying standard for the world championships. He was now #7 Australian all-time. He rated a very high standard of training from September to January as a key to his success in 2025.

“In February I made the move down to Melbourne and to live with Brett Robinson and to be closer to my coach and the larger training group. This has helped me the most with my step to the next level. Better weather and training location/time.”

Coaching influence of Collis Birmingham: Jude credits much of his success to his coach Collis. When he started training under him remotely in Brisbane, the adjustment was difficult to the extent Jude didn’t finish a session in 12 weeks of training and couldn’t keep up in training with guys he could beat in a race. Collis was patient. “Collis was, able to find a way to get the best out of me. It’s easy to rely on him because I know he has my best interests as an athlete at heart, I just focus on doing everything he tells me to do. I have faster PBs than him over 1500 and 5000 but I’m a long way off being a better runner than he was.”

Hero: Ryan Gregson, Charles Olivera, LeBron James…Advice to your young self: I don’t really think that way. I wouldn’t really change anything, I learnt most of my lessons from being injured or from poor running performance…Hobbies: listening to music and taking photos…Sporting ambition: I want to be a great runner and also help the next generation of athletes coming through my training group…Education: studying a Bachelor of Exercise Science at Uni of Southern Qld

@ 9 Sept 2025 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au