Born in Oxford, England, she attended the Cherwell School in Summertown, North Oxford. England joined Oxford City Athletic Club as an under 13, her first major success coming in the UK Athletics Reebok Cross Country Challenge in Birmingham as an Under 15. In 2005 England joined Birmingham University to study Biochemistry. Winning the national junior title in the 1500 m and competing at the World Junior Championships. As part of her degree studies, she spent a year at Florida State University. During her time there, she competed for the university's track team at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, winning the mile run indoors and the 1500 m outdoors. She returned to the United Kingdom and finished third in the 1500 m at the 2008 national championships. However, World Junior Champion Stephanie Twell was selected ahead of her for the 2008 Summer Olympics and England attended the Games as a reserve but did not compete. The following season she competed in the 1500 m at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships, but did not progress beyond the heats after a below-par performance. She set a personal best of 4:05.87 at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games in Hengelo, finishing seventh and beating Olympic champion Nancy Lagat. England set an 800 m personal best of 1:59.94 at the 2009 European Team Championships and managed fourth place in both 800 and 1500 metres events, helping the Great Britain team to a third-place finish. Qualification for the 2009 World Championships in the 1500 metres was going to be hard, as four British athletes had achieved the time required, but only three entrants per event were allowed. As Charlene Thomas surprisingly won the British trials, she was selected by default. Lisa Dobriskey, who had finished 4th at the Beijing Olympics the previous year and was still in good form, was also selected on merit; the last remaining place was between England and Stephanie Twell. As Twell had a faster time that season, as well as higher youth achievement, she was selected over England. Dobriskey went on to win a silver medal at the World Championships. At the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final, England qualified for 1500 metres as one of the top twelve athletes of the season. She finished second in the race, behind only Olympic Champion Nancy Jebet Lagat and beating among others reigning World ChampionMaryam Yusuf Jamal. In 2010 England finished a strong second in the 1500m at the European Team Championships in Bergen, Norway and followed it up with a national AAA title, again at 1500m, to secure selection for the European Championships in Barcelona running a startling 56.7 last lap, albeit in a very slow race. On 1 September 2011 at the IAAF World Athletics Championship, competing in the 1500m final, Hannah produced a stunning final 100 metres, coming from 7th place at the final bend to take the Silver medal in a time of 4:05.68.
