SHE HAD GIVEN notice that she was a runner to watch out for when she ran 8:25.25 to finish 2nd over 15 laps of the track in Boston on 4 February, four weeks before the World Indoor Championships. But, with a loaded field in Glasgow, it’s doubtful many pundits would have put much money on Elle St. Pierre coming away with a WIC gold medal to add to her 3000 silver from 2 years ago in Belgrade — and just a year, almost to the day, after giving birth to son Ivan.
The 16 women on the start line included Ethiopia’s 5000 WR-holder Gudaf Tsegay, Australia’s Jessica Hull who had beaten St. Pierre in Boston, Kenya’s 3000 steeple WR-holder Beatrice Chepkoech as well as local Scottish star Laura Muir, a multiple European champion who had been one of the faces of the champs in the pre-meet promotion.
However, a blistering last lap in 29.76 saw St. Pierre come home ahead of her illustrious set of rivals in a meet and American record, 8:20.87.
In what was a historic first WIC win for a U.S. runner in the event, she still had the luxury of being able to fling her arms in the air a couple of meters from the line with Tsegay well and truly beaten two strides back.
St. Pierre’s stunning performance moved her up to No. 3 on the indoor all-time list. Her golden Glasgow run puts her behind only Tsegay and her compatriot Genzebe Dibaba, with the latter holding the WR at 8:16.60.
Her time sliced more than 4 seconds off the previous U.S. indoor record which belonged to Alicia Monson with 8:25.05 at last year’s Millrose Games and St. Pierre’s mark is the fastest time by an American woman over the distance indoors or out.
“It’s definitely, really emotional. It’s just a dream come true to be a world champion. It’s something that every athlete, I would say, dreams of,” said the beaming St. Pierre after the race.
With the likes of Tsegay in the race, St. Pierre knew that the pace was likely to be hot from the gun.
Chepkoech led through the first kilo in 2:48.83 — almost exactly matching the 2.48.7 split in Dibaba’s 2014 WR run in Stockholm. St. Pierre ran 4th in 2:49.36.
Tsegay drove the train for the 2nd kilometer, passed in 5:35.78 versus Dibaba’s decade-old WR split of 5:34.25 as St. Pierre continued locked to the back of the four-woman lead group, giving every indication she was strong and confident.
“Just…
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