A hip injury caused her to retire from hockey and try competitive running, a sport she had competed in nine years earlier while at school. She joined Belgrave Harriers after being spotted by coaches at a 5 km race in Battersea Park.[5] In April 2023, she won her first ever 5000m track race in a time of 15:48.79 at the Comeback 5000 event in Battersea. That year she also won the 3000m race on her Team England debut in Loughborough, again her debut over that distance.[6]
In November 2024, she finished third at the Cardiff Cross Challenge, part of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour.[11] Later that month, she won the senior women's title at the Liverpool Cross Challenge, which doubled up as the British trials for the European Cross Country Championship.[12][13]
Axford is from Bedford.[6] She was educated at Bedford Girls' School before going on to study geography at the University of Exeter from 2017 to 2020. She is from a sporting family, with her mum playing lacrosse and her father playing rugby. Her siblings Maddie and Charlie also play Hockey.[16][7][17]
References
^"Kate Axford". World Athletics. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
