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| Emma Coburn | |
|---|---|
| Name | Emma Coburn |
| Birth date | January 19, 1990 |
| Birth place | Boulder, Colorado, U.S. |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event | 3000 m steeplechase |
| Club | Tinman Elite |
| Alma mater | University of Colorado Boulder |
Emma Coburn is an American middle-distance and steeplechase runner who won the 2017 World Championship gold in the 3000 meters steeplechase and the 2016 Olympic bronze medal. She has represented the United States at multiple Summer Olympics, World Athletics Championships, and IAAF World Indoor Championships, and has set American records and national titles in the steeplechase. Coburn's career spans international competitions including Diamond League meetings, NCAA Division I championships, and continental events such as the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships.
Coburn was born in Boulder, Colorado and raised in a family with strong ties to track and field and running communities in the American West. She attended Boulder High School and developed as a youth athlete competing in regional meets affiliated with organizations such as the Colorado High School Activities Association and USATF Junior Olympics. For higher education she enrolled at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied under coaches linked to collegiate programs in the Pac-12 Conference and interacted with athletes from institutions like Stanford University, University of Oregon, and University of Southern California.
At the University of Colorado Boulder, Coburn competed for the Colorado Buffaloes and earned NCAA distinctions at meets including the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. She trained under coaching staff connected to the Pac-12 Conference and raced against student-athletes from Arizona State University, University of Arizona, University of Washington, and UCLA. Her collegiate performances placed her on lists alongside competitors from programs such as University of Notre Dame and Texas A&M University, and she achieved qualifying standards recognized by USA Track & Field for national championship events.
After turning professional, Coburn joined training groups associated with elite clubs and coaches who have produced athletes for the United States Olympic Committee and international federations like World Athletics. She competed on the professional circuit at events including Prefontaine Classic, Millrose Games, Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, ISTAF Berlin, and meetings on the Diamond League circuit such as Meeting de Paris and Bislett Games. Coburn represented the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2016 Summer Olympics, and 2020 Summer Olympics, and at World Championships in locations including Daegu, Beijing, London, and Doha. She raced against prominent steeplechasers from Kenya, Ethiopia, Bahrain, and Great Britain and partnered with sponsors and institutions that support elite athletics in the United States and Europe.
Coburn won the gold medal in the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London, becoming the first American woman to win that title at the World Championships. She earned the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, joining other American Olympic medalists such as athletes from USA Track & Field and Olympic programs like Team USA. Coburn has held the American record in the steeplechase and captured national championships at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She has competed for podium positions at Diamond League finals and major meets including Memorial Van Damme, Herculis, and the European Athletics Championships when competing internationally.
Coburn has been active in advocacy for athlete development and community programs linked to organizations such as Girls on the Run, USATF Foundation, and local running clubs in Boulder, Colorado. She partners with coaching programs and training camps that collaborate with institutions like University of Colorado Boulder and elite groups that support athletes transitioning from collegiate to professional ranks, including connections to clubs like Oregon Track Club and Bowerman Track Club. Coburn has engaged with media outlets covering athletics, including interviews on platforms associated with NBC Sports, ESPN, and TrackTown USA, and has participated in outreach at events tied to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and charitable initiatives supported by the broader track community.
Coburn's honors include the World Athletics Championships gold medal, an Olympic bronze medal, American records, and multiple national titles at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She has been recognized by regional and national organizations supporting track and field, including awards and features from outlets such as Sports Illustrated, Runner's World, and recognition within halls of fame and athlete award programs affiliated with USA Track & Field and collegiate athletic departments. Coburn's achievements have placed her among notable American distance runners celebrated alongside athletes from programs like TrackTown USA and historic figures in American athletics.
Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:American female steeplechase runners Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field