Shannon Rowbury Interview

Published by Athletics Illustrated on January 2, 2015

Shannon Rowbury is one of America’s best middle-distance runners. She has competed in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games, specialising in the 1500m distance.

Originally from San Francisco, she attended Duke University where she earned a master’s degree in Film and Women’s Studies. She had a competitive college career earning All-American status in her sophomore year. She set the following Duke University distance records: 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and steeplechase.

She is the all-time fifth fastest American in the 1500m distance with her best of 3:59.49 behind Suzy Favor-Hamilton, Mary Slaney, Jenny Simpson and Anna Willard. She is the fourth fastest in the 5,000m with her best of 14:48.68, behind Shalane Flanagan, Regina Jacobs and Molly Huddle.  She is the third fastest in the 3,000m with her 8:29.93 record behind only Slaney and Simpson.

Christopher Kelsall: You were competitive in Irish Dance, yes? At what age did you switch to running?

Shannon Rowbury: Yes I was in Irish Dance and then soccer; it wasn’t until high school that I turned to running. I had a friend who was on the team and went out and discovered that I had some level of talent.

CK: The dance must have helped with the strengthening of the lower leg and ankle areas, while soccer is obviously run specific, they must have helped.

SR: Yes, actually Irish Dance was better for running than soccer was in some ways as it helped with core and hip strength and very much the lower leg as well as the fast twitch muscles. In national and international dance, the skills translate to running. It also helped develop good running form. Soccer was very good, but Irish Dance was even better.

CK: Interesting, so like ballet?

SR: Well even better, as the work in Irish dancing is like doing intervals and has running specific strengthening, whereas ballet encourages hyper mobility in the joints. So I would say that it actually prepared me well for running.