Julien Alfred, the breakout star of 2024, is still making headlines as we head into 2025. After her victory over Sha’Carri Richardson in the 100m at the Paris Olympics, where she claimed her first-ever Olympic gold medal for Saint Lucia with a time of 10.72 seconds. And then, she added a silver in the 200m to her haul finishing just behind Gabby Thomas, who took gold. And now, she’s setting her sights on something new. This time, Alfred is stepping out of her usual 100m and 200m events and taking on a fresh challenge as she prepares for the World Championships in Tokyo.

At the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on February 2, 2025, in Brighton, Massachusetts, she will race in the 300m. It’s a big change for her. She’ll be up against her training partner Dina Asher-Smith and American Lynna Irby-Jackson, so it’s going to be a competitive field. This will be her first race since the 2024 Diamond League in Brussels. But Alfred hasn’t raced the 300m since 2022 when she set a personal best of 37.36 seconds at the Commonwealth College Opener.

Alfred’s coach, Edrick Floreal, believes that the 300m will help her build confidence, especially when it comes to her 200m performance. Alfred has had a complicated relationship with the 200m, despite her silver medal at the Paris Olympics. She’s been open about her struggles with the event and has often doubted herself. But now, she’s slowly starting to embrace it, realizing that there’s potential for greatness.

While Thomas won’t be part of the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix race, Alfred is working with her coach to change her mindset and improve her performance in the event. Her personal best in the 200m is 21.86 seconds, and she’s hoping the shift in focus will help her become more comfortable with the distance.

At the Glasgow indoor global event the previous year Alfred established herself as a competitor who could handle major competitions. The World Championships in Eugene started poorly for Alfred when she received a disqualification from the 100m semifinals but she recovered to qualify for both final events in Budapest. Alfred has demonstrated her continued growth by running personal records of 10.72 seconds in the 100m, 21.86 seconds in the 200m, and 37.36 seconds in the 300m lap. And it seems fans are excited about her upcoming race.

Gabby vs. Julien Alfred’s dream race is still in the making

One track and field fan commented, “Can’t wait to see this! I wonder if Gabby will run too – she usually runs at this meet. If this is the case, it may be everyone who trains in Austin in one race 😂.” Another fan shared, “Sadly, Gabby won’t be running at New Balance this year. Lynna Irby-Jackson joins Julien and Dina in the 300m 🙌.” But the excitement doesn’t stop there, as someone else added, “Can’t wait! We need more of this! 🙌🏾”

While Gabby vs. Julien is a dream race, fans are still waiting to see Gabby open her season, whereas Julien has already raced. Gabby’s personal best in the 300m is 35.73 from 2021, while Julien’s is 37.36, which sets the stage for an exciting showdown when they finally face off.

A fan added, “The 300m is torture. I feel out of breath for them already.” Alfred, who usually runs the 100m and 200m, might find the 300m tough. Unlike the shorter sprints, it combines speed and endurance, requiring more stamina. 100m sprinters, trained for quick bursts, struggle with the extra distance, while 200m runners face challenges in the final stretch, needing more endurance than their usual training prepares them for. Both must adjust pacing, as the 300m demands a balance of power and stamina beyond their typical events.

Another fan added, “It will be interesting to see Julien Alfred in the 300m at the New Balance Grand Prix on February 2nd. She hasn’t lost an indoor race in 788 days.” Her last 300m race was on December 3rd, 2022, at the Commonwealth College Opener, where she set a personal best of 37.36 seconds. With all this, the hype around her upcoming performance is building up even more.