Australian stars Stewart McSweyn and Jessica Hull smash track records

In empty stadiums across Europe and the Middle East, Stewart McSweyn and Jessica Hull have quietly become a pair of Australia’s greatest-ever distance runners.

In Doha early Saturday, McSweyn smashed yet another national record claiming the 1500m national record. He now holds all of the 1500m, 3000m and 10,000m national records.

Stewart McSweyn.Credit: AP

No Australian runner has ever held all records simultaneously.

Refusing to be overshadowed, Hull clocked 8:36.03 in the women's 3000m to become the first Australian woman to hold the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m national records simultaneously.

It has been 20 years since two Australian records have been broken on the same day.

If vindication was required for the bold decision to go to Europe in the current COVID climate and compete, against the doubts of Athletics Australia, then the results they have achieved have given them some comfort.

In an aggressive run, with the kind of confidence to attack the pace makers and the field McSweyn didn't have have just six months ago, the King Island runner set up a massive lead which stretched at times to 50m.

He pushed the pace makers until the 350m when he surged and never looked back, finishing in 3:30.51 to break the record held for 10 years by training partner Ryan Gregson by 0.55s.

Only weeks ago, McSweyn broke the 3000m national record and last year at the Zatopek at Albert Park, he claimed the 10,000m record.

“Obviously, I’m very happy, I wanted to give it everything that’s why I got right on the pace," he said.

"I kind of like running and knowing how good I am and not worrying too much about other people so I was happy with how I executed the race.

“Any race you lead you know in such a high quality field you are going to have guys hunting you. I was making sure I held it together, knowing if I slipped up even 2 per cent I was going to get caught by that whole second pack so I had to just keep hammering once the pace dropped down and I was able to execute that.”

McSweyn will now return to Australia and push himself to lift his training levels again to put himself in the frame for a medal in Tokyo at the postponed Olympics next year.

“I know I still have to get a lot better if I want to be right around the medals in Tokyo and that’s going to be the aim. So I know I have to train 5 per cent harder, keep adding to what I have already done and keep getting better for next year.”

The 23-year-old Hull also continued her outstanding run of form in a powerful field to better Benita Willis's 17-year-old Australian record in the 3000m.

Hull dropped 32 seconds from her PB to clock 8:36.03, finishing 10th in a race won by Kenyan Hellen Obiri in 8:22.54 - the fastest time in the world this year.