The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Sets new personal record time at Prefontaine Classic
Though she has not raced in a steeplechase in eight months, Emma Coburn hasn’t missed a step.
In fact she’s gained a few.
Coburn was the first American, fifth-place overall, in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the prestigious Prefontaine Classic in Oregon last weekend, posting a new personal record (PR) time of 9:25.28. If she places top-three at the U.S. Olympic Trials in two weeks, she’s on her way to the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.
The Prefontaine Classic is a diamond league event attracting the top track and field athletes from around the world to one stage, especially with the 2012 Summer Olympic games just over a month away.
“This meet had the best of the best in all events,” explains Coburn. “I felt lucky to get to race against them.”
Coburn is on the University of Colorado (CU) track and field team but red-shirted her senior year at CU to focus her training on reaching the Summer Olympics in London this August.
Part of that training included getting some races under her belt in the 1,500-meters as preparation for the steeplechase. The idea is two-fold—to get some speed under her without the fatigue factor associated with competing in a series of steeplechase events.
“You don’t want to run the steeplechase constantly,” says head track and field coach at CU Mark Wetmore. “It’s hard on the body.”
Coburn returned to competitive form on May 18 when she competed in the 1,500-meters at Oxy High Performance Meet in California. She admits that, while it had been eight months since her last race on a track, she was somewhat relaxed heading into the event.
“It was fun. I got to race with no pressure,” says Coburn.
Coburn had a phenomenal showing in her race, posting a PR time, proving that the work she has been doing was paying off.
“That went better than expected,” says Wetmore.
“It was a big PR for me,” adds Coburn. “It was a good icebreaker and built some confidence.”
Coburn carried that confidence into the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon. While the start list for the steeplechase would rattle most athletes, Coburn found the level of competition calming. She focused more on personal improvements than where she placed and hoped to beat her previous personal record time of 9:37.
“Because there were so many athletes at the race expecting to win gold medals, there was no pressure on me, no eyes on me,” explains Coburn. “I wanted to run fast and run well but if it didn’t go perfectly, that was okay. The number one goal was to beat 9:37 and with a good day I could run 9:30. I think my coaches knew that I was fit enough for that.”
Wetmore concurs.
“Her workouts had gone well and coach Burroughs and I knew she was ready to run under 9:30,” says Wetmore.
A lead pack broke early in the race and Coburn settled into the lead spot of the chase pack. Further along in the race, Coburn made a move to break from the chase pack and reach the leaders. At that point she settled in on the heels of a British steepler and the two worked together to move up among the lead pack runners.
“Once I was on her heels I was really comfortable,” says Coburn.
Coburn passed three more steeplers and finished in fifth place with a time of 9:25.28, under a second behind the British runner. She was almost 20 seconds ahead of the closest American steepler.
“When I looked up and saw my time of 9:25 I was pleasantly surprised,” says Coburn.
“She finished at the top end of our expectations,” says Wetmore. “She knocked off some of the international runners that beat her a year ago.”
All attention for both Coburn and her coaches is now on the U.S. Track and Field Championships, which are also the U.S. Olympic trials.
If Coburn places top-three in the 3,000-meters steeplechase, she punches her ticket for the London summer games.
While she won the event at last year’s U.S. Track and Field Championships and just crushed it at the Prefontaine Classic, Coburn remains reserved about her chance at the Olympics.
“I can’t get too excited—there’s still a big task at hand,” says Coburn. “I’m really looking forward to trials. I have to run a perfect race that day.”
“We are all superstitious and don’t want to curse ourselves,” adds Wetmore. “The whole year has been designed to get her there and feeling well.”
The steeplechase finals will be on Friday, June 29 at Hayward Field in Oregon, the same venue as the Prefontaine Classic.
