SHANNON ROWBURY is an elite middle distance runner under contract with Nike currently residing in San Francisco, California. Shannon secured a position on the U.S. Olympic Team and ran the 1500 meter event in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Her many accomplishments in Athletics include:
- 2009 IAAF World Championships BRONZE MEDALIST (1500 meters)
- 2009 USATF Outdoor National Champion (1500 meters)
- 2009 USATF Road Mile National Champion
- 2008 USA Olympian and Olympic Finalist (1500 meters)
- 2008 USATF Outdoor National Champion (1500 meters)
- 2008 USATF Indoor National Champion (3000 meters)
- NACAC International Champion (1500m meters)
- 2007 NCAA National Champion (mile)
- Two time NCAA Runner up (mile and 3000 meters)
- Six time NCAA All-American (1500 meters to Cross Country)
- Multiple Atlantic Coast Conference collegiate Champion (1500 meters to Cross Country)
- Inductee - San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame (2008)
- Inductee - Sacramento Meet of Champion Hall of Fame (2008)
- National high school champion (800 meters)
- Two time California State high school champion (800 meters & 1600 meters)
In April of 2007, shortly after winning her first NCAA title in the mile run at the Indoor National Championships, Shannon was diagnosed with a Femoral Neck Stress Fracture (Hip Joint) which abruptly put an end to her collegiate career at Duke University. Although this injury was a major blow to Shannon's unfinished collegiate track career, it forced her to evaluate not only her biomechanics and physical strengths and weaknesses, but it also challenged her emotional strength and passion for her sport.
Shannon's injury led her to her current coach, John Cook, and training partners, Erin Donohue and Shalane Flanagan. During Shannon's rehabilitation, she dedicated herself to Coach Cook's thorough and comprehensive training program which improved her strength and flexibility while maintaining her aerobic fitness through various methods of non weight and low weight bearing exercises. In June of 2007, just 6 weeks after her diagnosis, Shannon was able to resume running on the Alter G-Trainer Treadmill, an anti-gravity device that enabled her to reduce her effective body weight while running, thus reducing her risk of injury and expanding her ability to train and condition in her sport. By early August of 2007, Shannon was running at her full body weight and beginning in earnest to build her aerobic base in preparation for the upcoming Olympic year. Shannon credits Coach Cook for her transformation from being "just a runner" to becoming a "true athlete".
Shannon Grew up in the Parkside/Sunset District of San Francisco and attended Saint Stephen's School from Kindergarten through Eighth grade.
At almost five years of age and during her first weeks of Kindergarten, Shannon, running through the schoolyard, tripped over a basketball kicked into her path by another child, causing a spiral fracture in her Tibia. After the removal of her cast Shannon's Grandmother (Nonie) enrolled her in an Irish Dance Class as a means of rehabilitation. Shannon continued with Irish Dance through her sophomore year of High School and competed quite successfully at local, regional, national and world competitions. To see a videotape of Shannon practicing one of her Irish Dance routines, click here: Shannon practicing Irish Dance Routine (clip will play after NBC intro).
Along with Irish Dancing Shannon played soccer from the fourth through eighth grades. She rotated positions but preferred to play Midfielder where she could play offense as well as defense as needed. This position allowed her to utilize a large portion of the field while building her stamina with successive 50 to 100 meter sprints as she worked the ball up and down the field.
High School (Prep) Career
In 2002, Shannon graduated second in her class from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory High School in San Francisco. Among her athletic achievements in Track and Field for the Fightin' Irish, were multiple league and section championships in events ranging from the 4x400 to cross country. Shannon's coach, Andy Chan, was instrumental in developing Shannon into the athlete that she has become. Based on Shannon's obvious talent over a tremendous range, Andy knew that Shannon could have a future in running and he made sure to think of her long term development. He was conservative with her training, taught her the value of balance and recovery and, above all, made sure running was fun. All of this instilled in Shannon a healthy and positive outlook towards her sport. To see a videotape of Shannon racing for the Fightin' Irish, click here: Shannon racing for Fightin' Irish (clip will play after NBC intro).
High School Personal Bests:
400: 57.1 (relay split)
800: 2:08.52
1600: 4:51.0
3000: 9:38.41
Cross Country
(5k): 17:52
College Career
In 2006, Shannon graduated from Duke University in North Carolina Magna Cum Laude in English and Theater Studies with a Film / Video / Digital Studies certificate. She completed her Masters Degree in May of 2008, also at Duke University, with a Film Studies and Women Studies emphasis. Like Shannon's high school coach, her college coach at Duke, Kevin Jermyn, continued to patiently develop her strength and endurance while emphasizing the importance of enjoying the journey and the team environment along the way. Under coach Jermyn's tutelage, the Duke women's cross country team went from obscurity to second and third place finishes over consecutive years at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Former Duke coach, Kevin Jermyn, gives an audio interview delving into the promise that Rowbury showed as a collegiate athlete
College Personal Bests:
800: 2:04.96
1500: 4:12.31
Mile: 4:34.94
3000: 9:02.73
5000: 15:38.42
Cross Country
(6k): 19:55.2
Shannon signed with Nike, Inc. in June of 2007, and joined "Team Cook" at that time. Her first six months training under Coach Cook, involved rehabilitation from her stress fracture. In November of 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 an impressive 2nd place finish, with a time of 15:54, missing first place by 1 second.
In January of 2008, Shannon 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 USATF Indoor National Championships, her first track race since her injury 11 months earlier. Shannon went on to win the 3000 meter race 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.
The Quest to make the 2008 Beijing Olympic Team
In April of 2008, Shannon opened up her outdoor track campaign at the Duke Invitational, winning the 800 meter race 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 meters (4:07.00). Although Shannon came up short of her goal while racing at Stanford, she did manage a 5 second personal best at this distance with another dominant win in a time of 4:07.59.
Still seeking the Olympic A Standard, Shannon raced at the Adidas Classic in Carson, California on May 18, 2008. At this event, she turned in a stunning performance at 1500 meters, again winning in dominant fashion in a time of 4:01.61 (another 6 second personal best effort). This performance catapulted Shannon onto the international scene as it placed her 5th All-Time at 1500 meters 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. Most importantly, this performance not only gave Shannon tremendous confidence in her training and fitness, it also gave her the Olympic A Standard that she needed heading into the USATF Olympic Trials.
On July 6, 2008, after three rounds of competition at the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, Shannon won the 1500m final with a time of 4:05.48, thus securing her berth on the US Olympic Team. She was followed by her teammate, Erin Donohue, and a fellow Nike athlete, Christin Wurth-Thomas. Arguably, in 2008, these three young women proved to be the best that the United States has to offer at 1500 meters and they will represent our country well at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
The European Circuit prior to Beijing
Just three days after returning home from the Olympic Trials, Shannon boarded a flight to Europe to get her first taste of world class competition. She opened up in Lignano, Italy in a low key, "rust buster" 800 meter race which didn't go as well as she had hoped. She followed that race up with a HUGE effort in Paris at the prestigious Golden League Meeting - Gaz de France, finishing second to the 2007 World Champion, Maryam Yusuf Jamal, by a mere .34 second margin. In Paris, Shannon had another personal best effort with her time of 4:00.33, which now places her 4th on the US Women's all time list for 1500 meters.
The Beijing Olympics
Shannon returned home from Europe in late July so she could continue her training and preparations for Beijing. She left for China with Team USA on August 6, 2008, to participate in the Opening Ceremonies in Beijing on August 8, 2008.
After the Opening Ceremonies, Shannon travelled to Dalian, China where Team USA had set up a training camp away from the chaos and pollution in Beijing. Under very tight security, the US track and field athletes were able to adjust to the time change, heat and humidity while fine tuning their training for the Olympic Games.
Shannon left Dalian for the Olympic Village in Beijing on August 15, where she could get settled in before her first round of competition which was scheduled to begin on August 19. Due to the small field size in her event, however, the preliminary heats were cancelled and Shannon's first race was moved to the semi finals round scheduled for August 21.
During the semi finals, Shannon was in the third (last) heat and it went out very fast. Heat one was won in 4:05 and heat two (a ridiculously slow and tactical heat) was won in 4:13. Since the top three in each heat automatically advanced to the finals and the next three advanced by time, the women in the third heat just needed to place in the top 6 of their heat and run faster than 4:05 to advance.
On August 23, Shannon placed 7th in the Olympic Finals. She ran a very smart tactical race keeping herself in contention at the front of the pack. With about 500 meters to go, Shannon settled into 4th position a short distance off of the top three. With about 200 meters to go, three women closed on the leaders and Shannon ended up in 7th at the finish.
Current Personal Bests
- 800 meter outdoor: 2:00.47 (2010)
- 1500 meter outdoor: 4:00.33 (2008)
- Mile outdoor: 4:20.34 (2008)
- Road Mile: 4:19.2 (2008)
- 3000 meter indoor: 8:31.38 (2010)
- 5000 meter outdoor: 15:00.51 (2010)
Professional Accomplishments - 2009
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2009 IAAF World Championship Bronze Medalist (1500 meters)
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2009 USATF Road Mile National Champion (mile)
- 2009 USATF Outdoor National Champion (1500 meters)
Professional Accomplishments - 2008
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3000m USATF Indoor National Champion - 8:55.19
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800m Duke Invitational Champion - 2:02.76
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1500m Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational Champion - 4:07.59
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1500m Adidas Track Classic Champion - 4:01.61
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1500m USATF Olympic Trials Champion - 4:05.48
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1500m IAAF Golden League Meeting: Gaz de France, Paris - Runner up - 4:00.33
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1500m USA Olympian and Olympic Finalist: Beijing, China - 7th Place - 4:03.58
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1500m IAAF Super Grand Prix: Lausanne, Switzerland - Runner up - 4:01.97
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Mile IAAF Grand Prix: Rieti, Italy - 3rd Place - 4:20.34
To make the 2008 Olympic Team, all track and field athletes are required to achieve two goals. The first goal is to hit the Olympic "A" Standard sometime between January of 2007 and the date of their final event at the Olympic Trials in June/July 2008. The Olympic "A" Standard for the women's 1500 meter race is 4:07.00. The second goal required to make the Olympic Team is to place top 3 in your event at the Olympic Trials.
The 1500 meter race requires athletes to run 3-3/4 times around a standard 400 meter track. Fifteen hundred meters (or 1.5 kilometers) converts to 4921.5 feet or 0.9321 miles and is the closest event to one mile normally run at outdoor track competitions at or above the collegiate level in the United States and abroad. The American Women's record of 3:57.12 was set by Mary Decker in 1983. The Women's World record of 3:50.46 was set in 1993 in Beijing by Qu Yunxia of China.