Steeple Star Sets New Mark with 9:11.42 Effort

By Scott Bush

Emma Coburn’s journey to the top of the American steeplechase world started years ago, but in 2011 when she won her first American title, that moment signified the steady climb to where she is today, the American record holder in the event.

Saturday, July 12 in Glasgow, Scotland will forever be a historic moment for Coburn. Going head-to-head with rival Hiwot Ayalew of Ethiopia for the entire 3,000m, Coburn found herself defeated by less than a second for the win, but she crossed the line in 9:11.42, setting a new personal best by nearly three seconds, but more importantly eclipsing teammate Jenny Simpson’s American record time of 9:12.50.

The 2014 season for Coburn is one defined by good health, steady progress and a growing belief she can be the very best in the world. It’s one Simpson worked into over the past few years herself over the 1,500m distance, and now Coburn holds it in her specialty event.

Coburn’s progression in the steeple is rather staggering. In 2009, as a Colorado freshman, she set the U.S. junior steeple record with her 10:06.21 clocking. While she qualified for the NCAA final in the event, she finished a distant eleventh overall. The future was bright, but few could have anticipated her rise to glory over the coming seasons.

During the 2010 season, Coburn showed rapid improvement, cutting nearly 15 seconds off her personal best while finishing second at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 9:51.80.

In 2011, another big drop came of another nearly 15 seconds. This time around an NCAA title put Coburn atop of the podium in a championship meet for the first time, but it wouldn’t be the last of the season. At the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Coburn edged the woman who defeated her at the 2010 NCAA Championships in Bridget Franek, winning her first USA title, while qualifying for the IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

At the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, Coburn ran a smart race in the semi-final, becoming the only American to qualify for the final. In the final, Coburn seemed to just hang on, placing 12^th overall in 9:51.40. It was her first big taste of international experience, but it was only the beginning.

The 2012 season was, yet again, another season of massive improvement, this time raising the question among American distance running fans as to whether Coburn could truly challenge Simpson’s national record. Coburn redshirted the 2012 NCAA season to focus on the USA Olympic Trials, where she hoped to make the Olympic team. Proving herself as top runner in the event leading up, Coburn focused on shorter events early in the season, dipping under the 4:10 1,500m barrier for the first time. When she switched focus to the steeple, she ran 9:25.28, another big PR, placing fifth at the Pre Classic. Her time proved to be the fastest American performance on American soil ever.

Her early season success set her up well for the Olympic Trials, where she easily proved tops in the country by winning her second U.S. title and earning a trip to the London Games. In London, Coburn again stepped up her game, making the final, then finishing ninth overall in another all-time best performance of 9:23.54. Despite being eleven seconds away, it seemed only a matter of time before she could lay claim to being the best steepler in American history.

Last year, the 2013 season, Coburn started off with big performance after big performance. She ran to a 4:12.31 1,500m split in a big 4:29.86 mile fourth place performance in New York City at the Millrose Games, only to follow that up with a NCAA indoor title over the mile distance.

Outdoors, a 4:06.87 1,500m PR at the Oxy High Performance meet gave Coburn a big confidence boost heading into championship season. While she won her second NCAA title in the steeplechase, injury plagued her heading into the USA Outdoor Championships and proved lethal to her season, as she passed on repeating as U.S. champion and ultimately shut down her season to recover.

With the momentum she’d seen over the past five years on hold, Coburn struggled with the first major injury of her career. Calling her season to an end in June, Coburn spent time recovering, resting and stepping back from the sport she’d invested so much into.  As she slowly worked her way back into shape beginning in September, Coburn knew it was only a matter of time and patience to get back to the level she competed on before.

The nice thing about the American track and field schedule is that the indoor season offers an opportunity for athletes to get their racing legs back under them and that’s exactly how Coburn treated it. At the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Coburn finished second in the 2,000m, only to follow that up with a fifth place showing at the NYRR Millrose Games, where she ran an impressive 4:32.01. While her time wasn’t on par to her early racing of 2013, it did show she has barely lost a step, which seemed to be a sign a big season lie ahead.

In the past, Coburn raced 1,500m races outdoors a couple times early on in the season. This season, she did the same, racing to a 4:07.49 1,500m performance in Tokyo, one week before her debut Diamond League steeplechase race of the season. Then, Shanghai happened and everything changed.

The Diamond League season, still in the very early stages of the season, landed a stellar field in the women’s steeple event in Shanghai. Coburn took a different approach early on, setting her own pace, which put her at the front of the field. While her chief competition actually thought she was the rabbit in the field, Coburn pulled away lap by lap, running to a new personal best of 9:19.80 and her first Diamond League victory. Her win surprised and excited American track and field fans, while giving Coburn a surge of confidence she’d be sure to use the rest of the season.

At the Pre Classic on the last day in May, Coburn ran another fine race, this time settling for third, but knocking five seconds off her best, lowering her PR to 9:14.12. Then came USA Outdoors, where she cruised to a meet record and championship win in 9:19.72. At this point, it seemed only a matter of time before she got in the right race to push herself past Simpson’s 9:12.50 record.

In Paris, the day after the Fourth of July, Coburn placed second Ayalew by less than three seconds, finishing in 9:17.84. The 23 year old continued to gain confidence. Two big wins and two close finishes to the world’s best of Ayalew and fellow Ethiopian Sofia Assefa meant Coburn was a proven veteran on the Diamond League circuit. Feel comfortable competing among the very best in the world and times always seem to magically fall.

All the momentum, all the big-race experience, the miles and workouts and constant focus on improvement came to a boiling point in Scotland. Pushing the pace from the gun, the American record found itself being attacked, with Coburn willing herself to finally push past the magical mark of her teammate. Lap after lap Coburn put herself on pace to truly challenge the mark and on the final water jump, Americans stood up in front of their TVs and computer, cheering her on, clapping their hands, jumping on and down, throwing as much karmic energy her way as possible, and…

…Coburn eclipsed the record, broke the mark, crossed a close second but ultimately got the record she’d been chasing, establishing herself as the greatest American steepler of all-time with her 9:11.42 performance.

Coburn’s season is far from done. While no World Championship or Olympic Games dots the calendar this season, it does mean that fast races lie ahead. Coburn is at a new level. Her time ranks her third in the world, on par with Ayalew and Assefa. She’s right there and with a little more experience, it’s realistic to see her taking one more step and pushing past her competition to become the top ranked steepler in the world. 

American distance running fans have seen the rise of Simpson, Galen Rupp and a handful of others put themselves in prime position to challenge for medals in the coming years. You can add Coburn to that list.

Coburn’s Progression – 2014 Season

7/12 – 9:11.42 AR – Glasgow DL – 2^nd Place
7/5 – 9:17.84 – Paris DL – 2^nd Place
6/28 – 9:19.72 – USA Outdoors – 1^st Place
5/31 – 9:14.12 – Pre Classic – 3^rd Place
5/18 – 9:19.80 – Shanghai DL – 1^st Place

Coburn’s Progression – Career

2014 – 9:11.42 AR
2013 – 9:28.26
2012 – 9:23.54
2011 – 9:37.16
2010 – 9:51.80
2009 – 10:06.21