USA Championships
Two-time USA Outdoor champion – 2008 (4:05.48); 2009 (4:05.07)
2008 USA Indoor 3,000m champion (8:55.19)
2010 USA Indoor runner-up (4:19.48)
International Championships
2009 World Outdoor bronze medalist (4:04.18)
Collegiate Championships
2007 NCAA Indoor mile (4:44.21) and 3,000m (9:02.73) runner-up
About Shannon
Rowbury grabbed a spot on her second World Outdoor Team USA in 2011 in dramatic fashion. Christin Wurth-Thomas ran to a blistering lead, but began to fade over the last lap. Rowbury just snuck by at the line to secure the third-place spot, edging Wurth-Thomas by one hundredth of a second to finish in 4:06.20. In winning a bronze medal at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships, Rowbury posted the best finish by an American in a world outdoor championships women's 1,500-meter final in 10 years. In the final Rowbury was up near the front the entire way and trailed Great Britain's Lisa Dobriskey by a few yards down the final stretch. Although Rowbury couldn't catch her, she finished fourth in 4:04.18, but Natalia Rodriguez of Spain tripped Ethiopia's Gelete Burka from behind. Following the race Rodriguez was disqualified and Maryam Yusuf Jamal (BRN) was declared the winner (4:03.74). Lisa Dobriskey of Great Britain (4:03.75) was awarded the silver medal, and Rowbury became the bronze medalist. In 2008, Rowbury turned in the top performance ever by an American woman in the Olympic 1,500m final. She finished seventh in 4:03.58, the highest placing for an American in the event. Rowbury has been on a gradual rise to global prominence as a middle-distance runner. She won the 800 meters at the 2001 National Scholastic Outdoor Championships while attending Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep School in San Francisco, Calif. A stress fracture in her hip knocked her out of the 2007 outdoor season. She enjoys soccer and Irish dancing.
Other Results
2012: 2nd at Millrose Games 1500m (4:07.66); 5th at Boston Grand Prix 3,000m (8:55.06)
2011: 6th in heats (4:14.43) and 12th in semi-final at World Outdoors (4:11.49); 3rd at USA Outdoor Champs (4:06.20); 3rd in London (4:05.73); 9th in Monaco (4:06.55); 12th in semi-finals at World Outdoors (4:11.49); 2nd at Nice DecaNation (4:25.31)
2010: 3rd at USA Outdoor Champs (4:14.41); USA Indoor runner-up (4:19.48); 10th at Nike Pre Classic in 800m (2:00.47); 5th at adidas Grand Prix in 1,500m (4:04.00); 6th at Paris (4:01.30); 7th at Stockholm (4:02.95); 3rd at Monaco in 3,000m (8:31.38 PR); 1st at Payton-Jordan Invite in 5,000m (15:00.51).
2009: World Outdoor Champs bronze medalist (4:04.18); USA Outdoor champion (4:05.07); USATF Road Mile champion (4:33.4); 6th at Nike Prefontaine Classic (4:03.92); 4th at Zurich (4:00.81); 5th at World Athletics Final (4:14.18).
2008: 7th at Olympic Games (4:03.58), 4th in heats (4:03.89); USA Outdoors champion (4:05.48); 2nd at Paris (4:00.33); 5th at World Athletic Final (4:08.16); 4th in 800m at Nike Prefontaine Classic (2:01.03); 1st at adidas Track Classic (4:01.61); USA Indoor 3,000m champion (8:55.19); 1st at Payton Jordan Invite (4:07.59); 1st in 800m at Duke Invite (2:02.76).
2007: NCAA Indoor mile champion (4:44.21) and 3,000m runner-up (9:02.73); did not compete outdoors due to injury (hip stress fracture).
2006: 6th at USA Outdoors (4:12.86); NACAC U23 champion (4:20.57); 1st at Bloomington (4:12.31); 9th in 3,000m at adidas Track Classic (9:03.61); redshirted indoor and outdoor collegiate seasons; 55th at NCAA XC; NCAA Southeast region XC champion; ACC XC champion.
2005: 8th at NCAA Outdoors; ACC Outdoor 1500m champion (4:14.81); ECAC Indoor 800m runner-up (2:06.58); NCAA Southeast Region Indoor Athlete of the Year; set school records in the 800m (2:06.58), Mile (4:38.66), 3000m (9:16.86) and DMR (11:14.30) indoors and in the 1500m (4:14.81) and DMR (11:10.18) outdoors.
USA/World Rankings and Personal Bests
2012: Indoor bests - 1,500m, 4:07.66 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 9 in the world); 3,000m, 8:55.06 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 20 in the world)
2011: Outdoor bests – 1,500m, 4:05.73 (No. 4 in the USA, No. 44 in the world)
2010: Indoor bests – 1,500m, 4:19.48 (No. 10 in the USA); Outdoor bests – 1,500m, 4:01.30 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 12 in the world)
2009: Outdoor bests – 1,500m, 4:00.81 (No. 4 in the USA, No. 9 in the world)
2008: Outdoor bests – 1,500m, 4:00.33 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 3 in the world)
2007: Did not compete in outdoors due to injury (hip stress fracture).
2006: Outdoor bests – 1,500m, 4:12.31 (No. 14 in the USA)
2005: Outdoor bests – 1,500m, 4:14.81