Emma Coburn
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Emma Jane Coburn (born October 19, 1990) is an American
middle-distance runner 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 1 ...
who specializes in the 3000-meters steeplechase. She 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. At the 2017 World Championships in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, Coburn made history by taking gold thereby becoming the first American since 1952 to win a world steeplechase title. At the event she set a championship record of 9:02.58 and broke her own American record by five seconds. She is a three-time Olympian making the US team in 2012, 2016 and 2020. At the
2016 Olympic Games ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro d ...
in Rio she captured the bronze medal becoming the first American woman to medal in an Olympic steeplechase event. Her finishing time of 9:07.63 established a then-new American record. Her other steeplechase achievements include earning a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, reaching the 2012 Olympic final (8th place), and competing in the World Championship finals in 2011 (10th) and 2015 (5th). She also won the
2014 IAAF Continental Cup The 2014 IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field sporting event that was held in Marrakech, Morocco, on 13–14 September 2014. It was the second edition of the IAAF Continental Cup since the name and format was changed from t ...
and is a ten-time United States National Champion winning the event in each of the years she competed (2011, 2012, 2014-2019, 2021, 2022).


High school career

Coburn attended Crested Butte Community School. She was a multi-sport athlete competing in cross-country, volleyball, basketball and track. In 2007, when she was a junior in high school, she traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico to run in an 800-meters event. While there her father encouraged Coburn to run in another event to make the six hour, 350 mile drive from her home worthwhile. However, because of schedule conflicts, the only event possible was the 2,000-meters steeplechase, which Coburn had never run before and knew little about. She won the race and qualified for the high school national meet. This serendipitous moment launched her steeplechase career. In 2008, she ran 6:42 to finish second at the 2008 Nike Outdoor Nationals Track and Field Championships in the 2000-meters steeplechase.


College career

Coburn attended the
University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...
from 2008-2013 where she was a three-time
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
champion, capturing two steeplechase titles and one indoor mile title. She earned
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
honors six-times. Coburn ran cross-country from 2008-2011. During her senior year in cross-country, she earned All-PAC-12 First Team, all-region, and All-America honors. She 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. Her 20th place finish over the six-kilometer distance at the NCAA national cross-country championships contributed to her team's 11th-place finish, as she was Colorado's 2nd place runner in the event. Coburn joined the track team in 2009 where she tried a number of disciplines during her first season including the indoor 1000-meters, outdoor 800-meters and the outdoor 1500-meters, before eventually concentrating on the steeplechase. She qualified for the NCAA Championships at Fayetteville in the steeplechase advancing to the final after running a then personal record (PR) of 10:06.21, which also doubled as the USA Junior record in the event. In the final, she ran 10:22.58 to finished 11th to cap off her first season. In 2010, Coburn won the PAC-12 steeplechase title as a sophomore and finished second in the
NCAA championships The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
. In 2011, as a junior, Coburn won both the PAC-12 indoor 3000-meters title and the PAC-12 3000-meters steeplechase title. She then went on to capture the NCAA 3000-meters steeplechase title. She also won the 2011 USA outdoor title in the steeplechase and made the US steeplechase team for the 2011
World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
, finishing 12th in the final. In 2012, Coburn did not compete for her collegiate team. She was
redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
and competed in track events as an unattached athlete so she could focus on the US Olympic Trials. In her first steeplechase of the 2012 season, Coburn became the fourth-fastest American in history and the fastest American on US soil with her time of 9:25.28. The time was a 12-second PR (personal record) for Coburn. She qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games in the 3000-meters steeplechase, joined in the event by her University of Colorado teammate, Shalaya Kipp. At age 21, Coburn was the youngest runner on the 2012 US Olympic team. In her Olympic debut, she placed third in her preliminary heat with a time of 9:27.51, automatically qualifying for the final. She came in ninth in the final, with a time of 9:23.54 – a then personal best. In 2013, Coburn returned to the University of Colorado as a fifth-year senior. She 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. On June 8, 2013, at the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, 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.


Professional career


2013

Following the completion of her collegiate career, Coburn announced that she was becoming a professional runner and, in June 2013, signed a contract with
New Balance New Balance Athletics, Inc. (NB), best known as simply New Balance, is one of the world's major sports footwear and apparel manufacturers. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the multinational corporation was founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch ...
. Through a statement provided by the company, Coburn said, “I am thrilled to join Team New Balance as I start my professional career. New Balance has a long-standing history as an excellent running company and I am honored to become a part of it. I look forward to a bright future and partnership with Team New Balance." Right after signing with New Balance, Coburn announced that she had a sacral stress fracture that would cause her miss the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and require her to sit out the 2013 professional track season. The injury occurred during her final collegiate race.


2014

In 2014, Coburn improved her 3000-meters steeplechase best four times. On May 18, at the Shanghai Diamond League meeting, she ran 9:19.81, earning her first Diamond League victory, before improving to 9:17.84 for third at Eugene in the Prefontaine Classic which was held on May 31. Four weeks later, Coburn ran 9:19.72 to win her third US title in Sacramento. On July 5, at the Paris Diamond League meeting, she ran a 9:14.12 for a second-place finish. This moved her to second on the US all-time list behind
Jenny Simpson Jennifer Simpson ( née Barringer; born August 23, 1986) is an American middle distance runner and steeplechaser. She represented the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics. She is a former Amer ...
. One week later, on July 12 at the Diamond League meet in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Scotland, she broke Simpson's American record of 9:12.51 by running 9:11.42 and finishing second in the race to Ethiopian
Hiwot Ayalew Hiwot Ayalew Yimer (Amharic: ህይወት ፡ አያሌው ; born 6 March 1990) is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner whose speciality is the 3000 metres steeplechase. She represented Ethiopia in the event at the 2012 Summer Olympi ...
. After that she ran two Diamond Discipline events finishing fifth in Stockholm in 9:20.31 and fifth in Zurich in 9:23.89. On September 14, Coburn topped off her most successful steeplechase season to-date winning the IAAF Track and Field 12th Continental Cup in Marrakesh, Morocco where she finished ahead of the world's number one steeplechase runner in 2014, Hiwot Ayalew. Bahrain's Ruth Jebet finished third.


2015

In 2015, Coburn's indoor mile ranked 28th in the world. Coburn ran an Olympic qualifying time (1500m) of 4:05.1 in Eugene, Oregon, at the Prefontaine meet in May. She won the steeplechase at the
2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Hayward Field, University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Organized by USA Track and Field, the four-day competition took place June 25–28 and served as the national championships i ...
to qualify for the
2015 World Championships in Athletics The 2015 IAAF World Championships ( zh, 第十五届世界田径锦标赛), the fifteenth edition of the IAAF World Championships, were held from 22 to 30 August at the National Stadium in Beijing, China. Forty-three nations won medals, 144 of ...
, where she placed fifth.


2016

In 2016, Coburn opened her outdoor season running 4:06.92 in the 1500 meters at
Hoka One One Hoka One One (stylized as HOKA) is an athletic shoe company originating in Annecy, France that designs and markets running shoes. The brand first gained attention in the running industry by producing shoes with oversized outsoles, dubbed "maximal ...
Middle Distance Classic hosted at Occidental College. She set a new American record shortly thereafter at the
Prefontaine Classic The Prefontaine Classic, an Oregon Track Club event, is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States, held in Eugene, Oregon. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at Hayward Field on the campus of the University ...
at
Hayward Field Hayward Field is a track and field stadium in the northwest United States, located on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. It has been the home of the university's track and field teams since 1921, and was the on-campus ho ...
, where she ran 9:10.76 in the 3000 meters steeplechase. Coburn broke the American record for a 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. Coburn placed ninth in 4:23.8 at the 2016
Fifth Avenue Mile The Fifth Avenue Mile is an annual road race on Fifth Avenue in New York City, United States. The race begins at 80th Street and heads twenty blocks south to 60th Street. First held on September 26, 1981, the race is currently organized by ...
. On December 2, 2016, Coburn announced on her Twitter account that she was ending training with coaches Heather Burroughs and
Mark Wetmore Mark Wetmore (born June 29, 1953) is an American cross country and track coach who specializes in middle-distance and long-distance running. He began his collegiate coaching career when he was accepted as a volunteer assistant coach at the Univer ...
after "an amazing 8 years." She later began coaching under Joe Bashaard, her then-fiancé.


2017

In January, Coburn, along with Sydney McLaughlin, Brenda Martinez, and
Jenny Simpson Jennifer Simpson ( née Barringer; born August 23, 1986) is an American middle distance runner and steeplechaser. She represented the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics. She is a former Amer ...
set a world-best time of 10:40.31 in the Distance Medley Relay (DMR) at the 2017 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at Boston's Reggie Lewis Center. Although news accounts reported it as" breaking a world record," the DMR was not recognized for world record sanctioning in 2017 by
World Athletics World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body fo ...
because it was run on an indoor, banked track, rather than outdoors. Nevertheless, it was a remarkable feat with the US track community continuing to acknowledge it as a world record. Coburn ran the opening leg (1200m, 3:18.40), followed by Powell (400m, 52.32), then Martinez (800m, 2:01.94), with Simpson anchoring the team (1600m, 4:27.66). The previous best of 10:42.57 was run at this meeting in 2015 by the American team of Sarah Brown, Mahogany Jones, Megan Krumpoch, and Brenda Martinez. On May 5, 2017, Coburn opened her outdoor season at the IAAF Diamond League 2017 Doha Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix, racing the steeplechase in 9:14 to place 5th. She then took gold in the 2017 World Championships on August 11 in London. This championship made her the first American woman to win a gold medal in the steeplechase at either the World Championships or the Olympics. Four of the
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...
n-born women she beat in that race, including Olympic champion/world record holder Ruth Jebet had previously run faster than Coburn. Courtney Frerichs won a silver medal at the same event, thus making Coburn and Frerichs the first Americans to win the gold and silver medal in any individual World Championships or Olympics race longer than 400 meters since the 1912 Stockholm Games. In November 2017, Coburn was named the winner of the prestigious
Jackie Joyner-Kersee Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee (born March 3, 1962) is a retired American track and field athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the heptathlon as well as long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals in tho ...
Award given annually by USATF to the top female athlete of the year, their highest accolade. Coburn joined the ranks of previous winners such as
Joan Benoit Joan Benoit Samuelson (born May 16, 1957) is an American marathon runner who was the first women's Olympic Games marathon champion, winning the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She held the fastest time for an American woma ...
,
Gail Devers Yolanda Gail Devers ( ; born November 19, 1966) is an American retired track and field sprinter who competed in the 60 metres, 60 m hurdles, 100 m and 100 m hurdles. One of the greatest and most decorated female sprinters of all time, she was t ...
,
Florence Griffith-Joyner Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner (born Florence Delorez Griffith; December 21, 1959 – September 21, 1998), also known as Flo-Jo, was an American track and field athlete. She set world records in 1988 for the 100 m and 200 m. During the late 1 ...
, Jackie Joyner-Kersee,
Lynn Jennings Lynn Alice Jennings (born July 1, 1960) is a retired American long-distance runner. She is one of the best female American runners of all time, with a range from 1500 meters to the marathon. She excelled at all three of the sport's major discip ...
,
Deena Kastor Deena Michelle Kastor (née Drossin; born February 14, 1973) is an American long-distance runner. She was a holder of American records in the marathon (2006-2022) and numerous road distances. She won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at t ...
and Allyson Felix. In a statement, Coburn said, “I'm so honored to be named the Jackie Joyner-Kersee award winner and feel very fortunate to be among the athletes that have won this award in the past. All of the nominees were incredibly deserving, and I was motivated and inspired by their performances all year. Thank you to the media and fans who voted for me. I am grateful every day for the support I receive and am encouraged by it to push harder. This is truly an unexpected honor.”


2018

In January 2018, Coburn opened her indoor season at
Western State Colorado University Western Colorado University (Western) is a public university in Gunnison, Colorado. It enrolls approximately 2,600 undergraduate and 400 graduate students, with 25 percent coming from out of state. Western offers more than 100 undergraduate areas ...
, where she ran a then
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
state record mile (at 7717 feet elevation) (since broken by
Dani Jones Danielle "Dani" Jones (born August 21, 1996) is an American middle-distance runner. She is a four-time NCAA Division I champion winning two gold medals at the 2017 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 3000-meters and Indoo ...
on February 3, 2018, 4:36.05-mile in the University of Colorado's Indoor Practice Facility at 5430 feet elevation). Coburn followed her mile victory with a pair of 3000 meters races, first on February 3 at the
Millrose Games The Millrose Games is an annual indoor athletics meet (track and field) held each February in New York City. They started taking place at the Armory in Washington Heights in 2012, after having taken place in Madison Square Garden from 1914 to 2011 ...
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 The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, formerly known as the Boston Indoor Games, is an annual indoor track and field meet which is held in late January or early February at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. It was first held in Roxbury, a ...
on February 10, 2018, at the Reggie Lewis Center where her time of 8:43.57 placed 4th. Coburn finished 3rd in the 3000 meters at the
2018 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships The 2018 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships were held at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Organized by USA Track and Field (USATF), the three-day competition took place from February 16 to February 18 and served ...
behind winner Shelby Houlihan and runner-up Katie Mackey.


2019

On June 30, 2019, she ran 9:04.90 to place second behind world record-holder
Beatrice Chepkoech Beatrice Chepkoech Sitonik (born 6 July 1991)Beatrice Chepkoech
Diamond League steeplechase event at the
Prefontaine Classic The Prefontaine Classic, an Oregon Track Club event, is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States, held in Eugene, Oregon. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at Hayward Field on the campus of the University ...
held in
Stanford, California Stanford is a census-designated place (CDP) in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is the home of Stanford University. The population was 21,150 at the 2020 census. Stanford is an unincorporated area of ...
. On July 28, Coburn ran 9:25.63 at the 2019 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships. Since she was the defending World Champion from 2017, she already was an automatic qualifier for the 2019 World Championships. Second was U.S. record-holder Courtney Frerichs, who ran 9:26.61, and also qualified to run in
Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the count ...
,
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...
in September.


2020

Coburn opened her 2020 season on January 25 at the
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, formerly known as the Boston Indoor Games, is an annual indoor track and field meet which is held in late January or early February at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. It was first held in Roxbury, a ...
in Boston, MA finishing third in the Indoor Two-Mile event in 9:32.81. At the same event she also ran in a 3000-meters Split-Time event posting a time of 8:56.60. While in Boston, on February 1, she appeared at the
Bruce Lehane Bruce Lehane (January 11, 1949 – September 23, 2017) was the cross country, middle distance, and long distance track and field coach at Boston University from 1982 to 2017. Early life and running career Lehane grew up in South Boston, Massachuset ...
Scarlet & White Invitational at
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
where she and fellow New Balance runner and training partner, Aisha Praught-Leer, provided ideal pacing for Cory McGee in the 1500-meters and for Emily Lipari in the 5000-meters. Coburn helped Lipari through the first 4,000 meters, who then went on to set a world leading and personal-best time of 15:07.44, elevating Lipari to eighth fastest in US history. McGee's, with Coburn's help, finished in 4:04.75 moving her to No. 3 in the world in the women's 1500-meters. In March, Coburn finished fourth with a time of 1:25:37 at the
Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente (; KP), commonly known simply as Kaiser, is an American integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield. Kaiser ...
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
Half-Marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcut ...
. Later that month the effects of the global,
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
triggered a severe social and economic disruption that also impacted the sports world. Local and international track and field events were cancelled or postponed including the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games and various international Diamond League events causing Coburn to reevaluate the remainder of her schedule. On June 27, Coburn ran a 4:32.72 to establish a new Colorado soil record for the One Mile at the Team Boss event in Grand Junction, CO. The previous record stood at 4:36. The event helped raise money for a local charity, the Sachs Foundation. One month later, on July 26, running in the one-mile event at the Team Boss Indiana Mile held at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Coburn ran a personal best of 4:23.65 moving her to 11th place on the US All-Time Fastest Outdoor Mile list. In August she ran a 4:03.82 in the 1500-meters at the Music City Distance Classic in Nashville where she finished second. A week later Coburn closed out her season in Los Angeles at the
Under Armour Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel. Under Armour's global headquarters are located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices located in Amsterdam (European head ...
Sunset Tour finishing third in 2:01.10 in the 800-meters and then, along with Cory McGee, provided pacing in the 5000 meters event.


2021

In June 2021 Coburn qualified for her third Olympic Games by finishing first in the 3000 meters steeplechase at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR with a winning time of 9:09:41. At the Tokyo Olympics she placed 14th in the final held on August 4, 2021; however, on the bell lap she clipped a barrier causing her to tumble off the track. She was later disqualified for touching the track's delimiting railing when she fell. Congratulating fellow American silver medalist Courtney Frerichs, she posted "Hugs in victory and defeat. Always appreciate this friendship and the constant effort required to be excellent together," while also having expressed her frustration at her own performance saying, "My Tokyo Olympic race was a total failure. I was terrible. Disappointed to not be my best and represent my country and team well. Thank you for all the kind words of support."


2022

Coburn opened her 2022 season on May 19 competing in the 1500-meters at the USATF Distance Classic in Walnut CA where she ran a 4:09.47 finishing in 11th place. She next competed in the steeplechase at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on May 28 coming in 8th with a time of 9:18.09. On June 11, she raced at the Portland Track Festival where she finished 3rd in the 1500-meters with a time of 4:04.44, but posted a DNF in the 5000-meters event. During June 24-26th she competed in the steeplechase at the 2022 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championship where she ran 9:10.63 finishing first and capturing her 10th US National Champion title. During a post-race interview Coburn became emotional when asked to reflect upon which national championship was her favorite. Coburn stated that perhaps the 10th title is her most favorite because it made up for a deeply disappointing performance at the 2020 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. Coburn thanked her family, sponsors and fans who have supported her over a professional career that has spanned nearly a decade. From July 16-20th, Coburn competed in her fifth
World Athletics Championships The World Athletics Championships (until 2019 known as the World Championships in Athletics) are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF, International Association of Athletics Federations). Alongside the Ol ...
held in Eugene, Oregon, finishing eighth in the 3000-meters steeplechase final in 9:16.49. Following the World Championships, in August and September, she ran three Diamond Discipline steeplechase events. She finished 4th at the Herculis EBS in Monaco posting a time of 9:07.93; 8th at the Memorial van Damme in Bruxelles with a run of 9:14.43; and 7th at the Diamond League Championships in Zurich with a time of 9:20.00. On September 11, 2022, the 31-year-old World Champion and Olympic Bronze medalist ran in the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile in New York City finishing in 4:22.8, placing her 10th amongst the women professional runners, first in her age category (31-34) and 59th overall (both men and women). Great Britain's
Laura Muir Laura Muir (born 9 May 1993) is a Scottish middle- and long-distance runner. She is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medallist in the 1500 metres, having previously finished seventh in the event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Muir won the bronze meda ...
ran 4:14.8 to capture the win,
Nikki Hiltz Nikki Hiltz (born October 23, 1994) is a mid-distance runner from Aptos, California. Hiltz attended Aptos High School, where in 2012 they won the CIF California State Championship in the 1600 meters. Hiltz is a 6 time NCAA Division I All-Ame ...
was second at 4:17.4 and Eleanor Fulton came in third in 4:18.0.


2023

On February 4, Coburn opened her 2023 season competing in the Women’s Mile at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, Massachusetts. The elite, international, indoor event is part of the 2023 World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold Meetings. Starting in the outside alley in 12th position, Coburn finished seventh with a time of 4:28.84. In doing so she posted a personal best eclipsing her previous PB for the indoor mile of 4:29.86, which she set during her 2012/2013 collegiate career. The race saw six other runners post personal best while another two runners posted new national records. Heather MacLean of the US crossed the line in first place with a PB and world leading time of 4:23.42. With ''En Route'' timing being used in the same event, Coburn also posted an indoor personal best for the 1500 meters covering the distance in 4:10.39. On February 18, Coburn joined Team USA and traveled to
Bathurst, New South Wales Bathurst () is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Bathurst is about 200 kilometres (120 mi) west-northwest of Sydney and is the seat of the Bathurst Regional Council. Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in ...
, Australia to participate in the 2023
World Athletics Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the In ...
. Coburn, along with Alec Basten, Jordan Mann, and Heather MacLean formed Team USA’s Mixed Relay team, which finished fifth in 24:32.  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. It was the first time since college that Coburn, whose professional track career has been focused on individual achievement, ran in a team event. The race was won by Team Kenya in 23:14, with Ethiopia taking silver in 23:21 and Australia earning the bronze medal in 23:26. On February 23, Coburn took part in the Maurie Plant Meet in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia, competing in the 1500 meters where she ran a 4:10.96 to finish fifth. According to the meet organizers, Athletics Australia, "The event is part of The Continental Tour Gold series, which ranks in the uppermost level on the World Athletics Continental Tour calendar, sitting just under the Diamond League in status."


Competition record


USA National Championships


Personal bests

All sourced from worldathletics.org unless otherwise noted. As of February 4, 2023.


Season bests

All sourced from worldathletics.org unless otherwise noted. — No competition record


Personal life

In October 2017, Coburn married coach Joe Bosshard. Together, the couple organized the annual Elk Run 5k, a fundraising effort for the Crested Butte Cancer Support Community.


References


External links

* * *
Emma Coburn at All-Athletics
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coburn, Emma Living people 1990 births American female middle-distance runners American female steeplechase runners Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Boulder, Colorado Colorado Buffaloes women's track and field athletes Colorado Buffaloes women's cross country runners World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field World Athletics Championships medalists World Athletics Championships winners Track and field athletes from Colorado University of Colorado Boulder alumni USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners IAAF Continental Cup winners 20th-century American women 21st-century American women