Emma Coburn holds the distinction of being a world champion, world silver medalist, Olympic bronze medalist, three-time Olympian and 10-time US National Champion in the steeplechase.
42 Facts About Emma Coburn
2.
At the 2017 World Championships in London, Coburn made history by taking gold thereby becoming the first American since 1952 to win a world steeplechase title.
3.
Emma Coburn is a three-time Olympian making the US team in 2012,2016 and 2020.
4.
Emma Coburn's finishing time of 9:07.63 established a then-new American record.
5.
Emma Coburn won the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup and is a ten-time United States National Champion winning the event in each of the years she competed.
6.
Emma Coburn was a multi-sport athlete competing in cross-country, volleyball, basketball and track.
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However, because of schedule conflicts, the only event possible was the 2,000-meters steeplechase, which Emma Coburn had never run before and knew little about.
8.
Emma Coburn won the race and qualified for the high school national meet.
9.
Emma Coburn helped the Buffs win the inaugural PAC-12 title, tie for first place in the regional championships, and place 11th at NCAA National Cross-Country Championships.
10.
Emma Coburn joined the track team in 2009 when she tried a number of disciplines before eventually concentrating on the steeplechase.
11.
In 2010, Emma Coburn won the PAC-12 steeplechase title as a sophomore and finished second in the NCAA championships.
12.
In 2011, as a junior, Emma Coburn won both the PAC-12 indoor 3000-meters title and the PAC-12 3000-meters steeplechase title.
13.
Emma Coburn then went on to capture the NCAA 3000-meters steeplechase title.
14.
Emma Coburn won the 2011 USA outdoor title in the steeplechase and made the US steeplechase team for the 2011 World Championships, finishing 12th in the final.
15.
In 2012, Emma Coburn did not compete for her collegiate team.
16.
Emma Coburn was redshirted and competed in track events as an unattached athlete so she could focus on the US Olympic Trials.
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At age 21, Emma Coburn was the youngest runner on the 2012 US Olympic team.
18.
In 2013, Emma Coburn returned to the University of Colorado as a fifth-year senior.
19.
Emma Coburn was named the PAC-12 Track Athlete of the Week on April 30,2013, after recording the best 3000-meters steeplechase time in the world for the season.
20.
On June 8,2013, at the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Emma Coburn ran the final race of her career where she would claim her second NCAA steeplechase title with a winning time of 9:35.38, finishing three seconds ahead of Florida State's Colleen Quigley.
21.
In 2014, Emma Coburn improved her 3000-meters steeplechase best four times.
22.
Four weeks later, Emma Coburn ran 9:19.72 to win her third US title in Sacramento.
23.
On September 14, Emma Coburn topped off her most successful steeplechase season to-date winning the IAAF Continental Cup in Marrakesh, Morocco where she finished ahead of Ayalew, the world's number one steeplechase runner in 2014.
24.
Emma Coburn ran an Olympic qualifying time of 4:05.1 in Eugene, Oregon, at the Prefontaine meet in May She won the steeplechase at the USATF Championships to qualify for the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, where she placed fifth.
25.
In 2016, Emma Coburn opened her outdoor season running 4:06.92 in the 1500 meters at Hoka One One Middle Distance Classic hosted at Occidental College.
26.
Emma Coburn set a new American record shortly thereafter at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, where she ran 9:10.76 in the 3000 meters steeplechase.
27.
Emma Coburn broke the American record for the third time, earning bronze in 9:07.63 in the 2016 Olympic steeplechase and becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the 3000 meters steeplechase.
28.
Emma Coburn ran the opening leg, followed by Powell, then Martinez, with Simpson anchoring the team.
29.
On May 5,2017, Emma Coburn opened her outdoor season at the Doha Diamond League, racing the steeplechase in 9:14 to place fifth.
30.
Emma Coburn then took gold in the 2017 World Championships on August 11 in London.
31.
In November 2017, Emma Coburn was named the winner of the prestigious Jackie Joyner-Kersee Award given annually by USATF to the top female athlete of the year, their highest accolade.
32.
In January 2018, Emma Coburn opened her indoor season at Western State Colorado University, where she ran a then Colorado state record mile.
33.
Emma Coburn followed her mile victory with a pair of 3000 meters races, first on February 3 at the Millrose Games in 8:41.16, a runner-up finish to teammate Aisha Praught-Leer who ran 8:41.10, and then at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on February 10,2018, at the Reggie Lewis Center where her time of 8:43.57 placed fourth.
34.
Emma Coburn finished 3rd in the 3000 meters at the 2018 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships behind winner Shelby Houlihan and runner-up Katie Mackey.
35.
At the Worlds, Emma Coburn won the silver medal with a personal record of 9:02.35 while Frerichs finished sixth.
36.
Emma Coburn opened her 2020 season on January 25 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, finishing third in the two-mile race in 9:32.81.
37.
Emma Coburn was later disqualified for touching the track's delimiting railing when she fell.
38.
Emma Coburn stated that perhaps the 10th title is her most favorite because it made up for a deeply disappointing performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games and because she was unsure how many more races she would be able to enjoy with her mother, who has been battling cancer.
39.
Emma Coburn finished fourth in Monaco posting a time of 9:07.93; eighth in Brussels with a run of 9:14.43; and seventh in Zurich final with a time of 9:20.00.
40.
On February 4, Emma Coburn opened her 2023 season competing in the women's mile at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.
41.
Emma Coburn posted an indoor personal best for the 1500 meters with her split of 4:10.39 en route.
42.
Emma Coburn ran the second leg in the race and improved Team USA's overall position from tenth to fifth position by finishing her leg in 6:13.