Ellis attended Penistone Grammar School and is a graduate from Sheffield Hallam University in Architecture.

Earlier in the season Ellis had set a new personal best at 800m of 1:45.67 which was within the qualifying mark for the European Championships held that year.

The new personal best and the silver at the AAAs secured Ellis a place at the Europeans in Gothenburg: his first time representing Great Britain at a senior major championships.

At the Europeans, after initially having a poor run in the first round of the competition, only scraping through as a fastest loser in a time 1:47.72 Ellis was more impressive in his semifinal qualifying by right for the final in third place.

A tactically well run race in the final and a strong finish lead him to third place and his first major senior medal.