Kelly-Ann Beckford

Kelly-Ann Beckford
Personal information
Born (2000-04-20) 20 April 2000
Sport
SportAthletics
Event
800m
Achievements and titles
Personal bests400m: 53.78 (Spanish Town, 2025)
800m:: 1:58.46 (College Station, 2026)
1500m:: 4:26.20 (Houston, 2024)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Jamaica
NACAC Championships
Bronze medal – third place2025 Freeport800 m

Kelly-Ann Beckford (born 20 April 2000) is a Jamaican middle-distance runner. She has won the Jamaican Athletics Championships over both 800 metres and 1500 metres.[1]

Biography

She attended Albert Town High School in Albert Town, Jamaica, and won at the 2015 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Championship, to become the first girl from the school to win at the championships.[2] She later studied and competed in the United States at Lincoln University in Missouri, and the University of Houston.[3][4]

In May 2022, she became the NCAA Division 2 champion for Lincoln University over 800 metres whilst training under Jamaican coach Harold “Poppy” Thomas.[5][6] She won the Jamaican Athletics Championships over 1500 metres in June 2022 in Kingston, Jamaica, finishing ahead of Adelle Tracey.[7]

In 2024, she won Big 12 Conference indoor 800 metres title for Houston with an indoor personal best, school record and Big 12 indoor record time of 2:00.99. Beckford went on to run a personal best and University of Houston outdoor programme record for the 800 metres of 2:02.88 in March 2025 at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas.[5]

After graduating from Houston in 2024, she trained under Stephen Francis at the MVP Track Club.[4] She competed for Jamaica at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in China.[8]

She won the Jamaican Athletics Championships over 800 metres in June 2025 in Kingston, finishing ahead of Natoya Goule-Toppin.[9][10][3] She won the bronze medal over 800 metres at the 2025 NACAC Championships in August 2025 in Freeport, The Bahamas running a personal best time of 2:00.17.[11][12][13] She competed in the women's 800 metres at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.[14][15]

Beckford was selected to represent Jamaica at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland, without advancing to the semi-finals of the 800 metres.[16][17] On 6 June, Beckford ran a personal best 1:58.46 for the 800 m to place second at the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, Texas.[18] That month, she retained her 800 metres title at the 2026 Jamaican Championships.[19] On 16 July, she won over 800 metres at Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern in Switzerland.[20] She was a finalist in the 800 metres at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.[21][22]

References

  1. ↑ "Kelly-Ann Beckford". World Athletics. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  2. ↑ "Gold medal winner Kelly-Ann Beckford the toast". Jamaica Gleaner. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  3. 1 2 "National Trials 2025: Beckford, Taylor win 800m titles". Jamaica Observer. 28 June 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 Bailey, Robert (8 July 2025). "Beckford exudes confidence after copping national 800m title". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Jamaica's Beckford eyes Olympic spot". Jamaica Observer. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  6. ↑ Hines, Willie Alex (28 May 2022). "Kelly Ann Beckford Wins National Title in the 800m as LU Places Fifth Overall". hbcusportsnet. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  7. ↑ "Jamaican Championships". World Athletics. 26 June 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  8. ↑ "World Relays: Jamaica finish sixth in mixed 4x400m heat". Jamaica Observer. 10 May 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  9. ↑ Jacks, Bradley (28 June 2025). "Beckford, Taylor claim maiden 800m titles at National Champs". SportsMax. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  10. ↑ "Jamaican Championships". World Athletics. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  11. ↑ "NACAC Championships". World Athletics. 17 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  12. ↑ Boal, Erik (16 August 2025). "JANEE' KASSANAVOID REPEATS IN HAMMER TO HELP U.S. WIN SEVEN NACAC GOLDS, HANDAL ROBAN ROLLS IN 800". Youth Runner. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  13. ↑ "Taylor breaks national 800m record at NACAC Senior Championships". Radiojamaicanewsonline. 16 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  14. ↑ "World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025". World Athletics. 21 September 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  15. ↑ "JAAA names 50-member World Champs team, Thomas-Dodd opts out". Jamaica Observer. 30 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  16. ↑ "World Athletics Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 20 March 2026. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  17. ↑ Smith, Gary (9 March 2026). "Olympic silver medalist Kishane Thompson headlines the Jamaica 2026 World Indoor team". World-Track. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  18. ↑ "Thomas scorches to 21.70 at Lone Star Grand Prix". World Athletics. 6 June 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "Anderson and Beckford win national 800m titles". Jamaica Observer. 20 June 2026. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  20. ↑ "Julian Weber returns with a victory and a jump of 87.04 meters". leichtathletik.de. 16 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "XXIII Commonwealth Games". World Athletics. 30 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "JAAA apologises to Demisha Roswell for Commonwealth Games omission". Jamaica Observer. 28 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
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