Coach Derrick Adkins Sheds Light on Leah Anderson’s Steady Rise: “The Goal is Sub-50.5…”
Leah Anderson may not be a household name in Jamaican track and field just yet, but if her recent performances are anything to go by, that may soon change. The 25-year-old 400m runner has emerged as a serious contender for a spot on Jamaica’s World Championships team, thanks in large part to her steady development under coach Derrick Adkins.
A former Olympic and World Champion himself, Adkins has been guiding Anderson’s progress since the fall of 2022. At the time, Anderson had just graduated college, where she had shown promise but not elite potential.
“She was a strong regional standout in New York but never made it to NCAA Nationals,” Adkins told Sportsmax.TV. “She had run 51.9 once, but most of her times were in the 52s and 53s.”
Now, less than two years later, Anderson is coming off a new personal best of 51.15 seconds, with clear ambitions for the season ahead.
“The goal for 2025 is to go sub-51, ideally sub-50.5,” said Adkins. “We also want her to finish as one of the top three Jamaicans at trials and make the team for the World Championships in Tokyo.”
Anderson’s improvement has been largely linear, a rarity in elite sprinting, and a testament to the consistency of her training. “Our programme is designed for steady progress,” Adkins explained. “I usually set conservative goals and enjoy seeing my athletes surpass them.”
But the path hasn’t been without challenges. Anderson’s most pressing issue isn’t technical or mental—it’s physical. Specifically, maintaining muscle mass and body weight.
“She has a very fast metabolism and needs to eat with discipline,” Adkins shared. “Even when she’s not hungry, she has to eat. We work hard in the gym and with supplements to keep her around 115 lbs, which is where she performs best.”
To address the lack of elite female training partners in New York, Anderson trains with male athletes from Central Park Track Club and Atlanta NYC. “These guys run 48s and 49s, and she pushes herself right alongside them,” Adkins said. “She often runs faster than the time I set for her in practice.”
With Jamaican trials set for late June, Anderson will compete in several upcoming meets, including one in Orlando and the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston on June 7.
While some fans may only now be hearing her name, Adkins believes Anderson’s best is still to come—and potentially on the global stage.
“If she keeps progressing the way she has, she could be a consistent 49-second runner by 2028 and among the best in the world.”
For now, though, the focus remains squarely on Tokyo—and a breakout performance that could make Leah Anderson impossible to overlook.
