Shannon Rowbury
Encyclopedia
Shannon Rowbury is an American
middle distance
runner under contract with Nike
currently residing in San Francisco
, California
. Rowbury competed for the United States
in the women's 1500 m
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, China
. She won the bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
in the 1500 m
.
neighborhood in San Francisco. In 2002, Rowbury graduated from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
High School in San Francisco. Rowbury attended Duke University
and studied English
and Theater, and competed on the cross country and track and field teams for the school. In 2007, Rowbury graduated from Duke magna cum laude in English and Theater Studies with a certificate in Film/Video/Digital Studies. She completed her master's degree
at Duke in May 2008, with an emphasis on Film
and Women's Studies
. In April 2007, Rowbury was diagnosed with a femoral neck stress fracture (hip joint), which abruptly put an end to her collegiate career at Duke University.
in June 2007. Her first six months of training under John Cook involved rehabilitation from her stress fracture. In November 2007, Shannon competed at the Seagate Elite 5K Road Race in San Jose, California
to assess her current fitness level coming back from her injury. She managed a 2nd place finish, with a time of 15:54, missing first place by 1 second.
, her first track race since her injury 11 months earlier. Shannon went on to win the 3000 m in a personal best time of 8:55.19, beating a national class field in dominant fashion. After this effort, Shannon returned to altitude to finish up her training. In April 2008, Shannon opened up her outdoor track campaign at the Duke Invitational, winning the 800 m by 12 seconds with a 2 second personal best time of 2:02.76.
Her next race was in early May at the Payton Jordon Invitational at Stanford University where she hoped to achieve the Olympic A standard at 1500 m (4:07.00). Although Rowbury came up short of her goal while racing at Stanford, she did manage a 5 second personal best at this distance with a time of 4:07.59.
Still seeking the Olympic A Standard, Rowbury raced at the Adidas Track Classic
in Carson, California
on May 18, 2008. In the 1500 m, she won with a time of 4:01.61, improving another 6 seconds over her previous personal best. This performance catapulted Rowbury onto the international scene as it placed her 5th all-time at 1500 m for United States
females. In addition, her effort would have placed her 9th in the world rankings based on the 2007 IAAF world performance list. This performance gave her the Olympic A standard that she needed heading into the USATF
Olympic Trials.
, Rowbury placed first in the 1500 m final with a time of 4:05.48 followed by Erin Donohue
and Christin Wurth-Thomas
. The three qualified to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics based on their performance at the trials.
Rowbury had the fourth-fastest time in the first-round heats of the women's 1500 m
run in Beijing
, qualifying for the finals. She was the only American athlete to advance to the finals in which she placed seventh with a time of 4:03.58. This seventh-place finish was the best finish ever by an American woman in the 1500 meters at the modern Olympics.
and qualifying for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
. At the 2009 World Championships, in Berlin
, Rowbury captured the bronze medal, in a time of 4:04.18. A month later she won her first Fifth Avenue Mile
, narrowly edging out Lisa Dobriskey
, Sara Hall and Wurth-Thomas.
On July 22, 2010, Rowbury improved her personal best in the 3000 m by 23 seconds with a time of 8:31.38, which is the third-best mark in U.S. history.
Rowbury won the 2010 edition of the Fifth Avenue Mile
on September 26, 2010.
Last updated July 22, 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
middle distance
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
runner under contract with Nike
Nike sponsorships
This is a list of all of Nike's sponsorships. Their first prominent endorser was American running legend Steve Prefontaine. -Players: Nnamdi Asomugha Champ Bailey Drew Brees Glenn Dorsey Larry Fitzgerald DeSean Jackson Sam Bradford Michael Vick Andre Johnson...
currently residing in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Rowbury competed for the United States
United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. American athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since the 1896 Summer Olympics except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted. The United States entered the Games as the most successful nation in...
in the women's 1500 m
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's 1500 metres
-Round 1:Qualification: First 3 in each heat and the next 3 fastest advance to the Final.-Final:-Splits:...
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. She won the bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
in the 1500 m
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 1500 metres
The women's 1500 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium between 18–23 August.-Medalists:-Records:-Qualification standards:-Schedule:-Heats:...
.
Personal
Rowbury grew up in the Parkside section of the Sunset DistrictSunset District, San Francisco, California
The Sunset District is a large neighborhood in the west-central part of San Francisco, California, United States.-Location:The Sunset District is the largest district within the city of San Francisco. Golden Gate Park forms the neighborhood's northern border, and the Pacific Ocean forms its...
neighborhood in San Francisco. In 2002, Rowbury graduated from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, commonly known as SH, SHC, or SHCP is a Catholic school located in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Founded in 1852, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory is the oldest Catholic secondary school in San Francisco...
High School in San Francisco. Rowbury attended Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and studied English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and Theater, and competed on the cross country and track and field teams for the school. In 2007, Rowbury graduated from Duke magna cum laude in English and Theater Studies with a certificate in Film/Video/Digital Studies. She completed her master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at Duke in May 2008, with an emphasis on Film
Film studies
Film studies is an academic discipline that deals with various theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to films. It is sometimes subsumed within media studies and is often compared to television studies...
and Women's Studies
Women's studies
Women's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
. In April 2007, Rowbury was diagnosed with a femoral neck stress fracture (hip joint), which abruptly put an end to her collegiate career at Duke University.
Collegiate career
Rowbury set a school record for the mile in the indoor track season as a freshman at Duke. In her sophomore year she earned indoor All-American status, finishing in 8th place at the NCAA championships in the mile. In her junior year season she anchored Duke's first victorious distance medley relay team. As a senior she helped Duke place third at the NCAA cross country championships. She redshirted her indoor and outdoor seasons of her senior year, but set Duke school records in the 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and steeplechase.Career
Rowbury signed with NikeNike sponsorships
This is a list of all of Nike's sponsorships. Their first prominent endorser was American running legend Steve Prefontaine. -Players: Nnamdi Asomugha Champ Bailey Drew Brees Glenn Dorsey Larry Fitzgerald DeSean Jackson Sam Bradford Michael Vick Andre Johnson...
in June 2007. Her first six months of training under John Cook involved rehabilitation from her stress fracture. In November 2007, Shannon competed at the Seagate Elite 5K Road Race in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
to assess her current fitness level coming back from her injury. She managed a 2nd place finish, with a time of 15:54, missing first place by 1 second.
2008
In January 2008, Rowbury enjoyed her first extended stint at altitude in Central Mexico where she endured 6 weeks of extensive training with her coach and teammates. She returned to the United States in February to compete in the USA Indoor Track and Field ChampionshipsUSA Indoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Indoor Track and Field Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
, her first track race since her injury 11 months earlier. Shannon went on to win the 3000 m in a personal best time of 8:55.19, beating a national class field in dominant fashion. After this effort, Shannon returned to altitude to finish up her training. In April 2008, Shannon opened up her outdoor track campaign at the Duke Invitational, winning the 800 m by 12 seconds with a 2 second personal best time of 2:02.76.
Her next race was in early May at the Payton Jordon Invitational at Stanford University where she hoped to achieve the Olympic A standard at 1500 m (4:07.00). Although Rowbury came up short of her goal while racing at Stanford, she did manage a 5 second personal best at this distance with a time of 4:07.59.
Still seeking the Olympic A Standard, Rowbury raced at the Adidas Track Classic
Adidas Track Classic
The Adidas Track Classic is an American track and field athletics meeting which has taken place annually in Carson, California since 2005. The meeting forms part of the USA Track & Field Visa Championship Series and is also one of the few area meetings where athletes can earn points to qualify for...
in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
on May 18, 2008. In the 1500 m, she won with a time of 4:01.61, improving another 6 seconds over her previous personal best. This performance catapulted Rowbury onto the international scene as it placed her 5th all-time at 1500 m for United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
females. In addition, her effort would have placed her 9th in the world rankings based on the 2007 IAAF world performance list. This performance gave her the Olympic A standard that she needed heading into the USATF
USA Track and Field
USA Track & Field is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking...
Olympic Trials.
2008 Olympic Trials & Games
On July 6, 2008 at the USATF Olympic Trials in Eugene, OregonEugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, Rowbury placed first in the 1500 m final with a time of 4:05.48 followed by Erin Donohue
Erin Donohue
Erin Donohue is an American athlete who competes in middle distance track events. Donohue qualified for the U.S...
and Christin Wurth-Thomas
Christin Wurth-Thomas
Christin Wurth-Thomas is an American athlete who competes in middle distance track events. Wurth-Thomas competed for the United States in the women's 1500 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics....
. The three qualified to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics based on their performance at the trials.
Rowbury had the fourth-fastest time in the first-round heats of the women's 1500 m
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's 1500 metres
-Round 1:Qualification: First 3 in each heat and the next 3 fastest advance to the Final.-Final:-Splits:...
run in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, qualifying for the finals. She was the only American athlete to advance to the finals in which she placed seventh with a time of 4:03.58. This seventh-place finish was the best finish ever by an American woman in the 1500 meters at the modern Olympics.
2009-2010
Rowbury retained her 1500 m title at the US Championships, beating Christin Wurth-ThomasChristin Wurth-Thomas
Christin Wurth-Thomas is an American athlete who competes in middle distance track events. Wurth-Thomas competed for the United States in the women's 1500 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics....
and qualifying for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
. At the 2009 World Championships, in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Rowbury captured the bronze medal, in a time of 4:04.18. A month later she won her first Fifth Avenue Mile
Fifth Avenue Mile
The Fifth Avenue Mile is an annual road race in New York City. The race begins at East 80th Street and heads straight down Fifth Avenue to East 60th Street...
, narrowly edging out Lisa Dobriskey
Lisa Dobriskey
Lisa Jane Dobriskey is an English middle distance athlete. She was the Commonwealth champion in the 1500 m in 2006. More recently, she won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 2009 World Championships....
, Sara Hall and Wurth-Thomas.
On July 22, 2010, Rowbury improved her personal best in the 3000 m by 23 seconds with a time of 8:31.38, which is the third-best mark in U.S. history.
Rowbury won the 2010 edition of the Fifth Avenue Mile
Fifth Avenue Mile
The Fifth Avenue Mile is an annual road race in New York City. The race begins at East 80th Street and heads straight down Fifth Avenue to East 60th Street...
on September 26, 2010.
Personal Bests
| Event | Time | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 m (outdoor) | 2:00.47 | Eugene Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... |
July 3, 2010 |
| 1500 m (outdoor) | 4:00.33 | Paris | July 18, 2008 |
| Mile run (outdoor) | 4:20.34 | Rieti Rieti Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River... |
September 7, 2008 |
| 3000 m (outdoor) | 8:31.38 | Fontvieille Fontvieille, Monaco Fontvieille is the newest of the four traditional quarters in the principality of Monaco, and one of ten Wards for modern administrative purposes. It is located in the western part of Monaco... |
July 22, 2010 |
| 5000 m (outdoor) | 15:00.51 | Palo Alto Palo Alto, California Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is... |
May 1, 2010 |
| 1500 m (indoor) | 4:19.48 | Albuquerque Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As... |
February 28, 2010 |
| Mile run (indoor) | 4:34.14 | Albuquerque | January 16, 2010 |
| 3000 m (indoor) | 8:47.18 | Boston Boston Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had... |
February 6, 2010 |
Last updated July 22, 2010.