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 looking at the field going in, I knew it would be a fast race,” she assessed. “I knew there were some amazing athletes that I was going up against and I think that I was confident that would work to my benefit. I just tried to get myself into a good position and hang on to the pace.
“[At halfway] I was like, ‘OK, OK, I think you can do a few more laps at this point, as long as it doesn’t pick up too much.’
“And then next thing I knew there was 400 to go. And I was like, ‘OK, I can run a fast 400.’ And so, I just hung on and I believed in myself because, you know, I’m a miler.” Indeed, the 2018 NCAA mile champion indoors.
“It’s been a big year for me,” added St. Pierre, referring to Ivan’s arrival and her return to competition.
The toddler was in Glasgow and embarked on the lap of honor with his mom, two days before his first birthday, seemingly nonplussed about what the fuss was about and totally at ease in the raucous arena atmosphere.
St. Pierre has no doubts that the arrival of the new member of the family has made her stronger, a sentiment often espoused by elite distance-running moms.
“I feel like a new person and a new athlete with my baby son. And today was the day that he was due a year ago,” she said. “So, I knew that was good luck and I was thinking about that, and I was just so happy to have him here.”
“I didn’t race much last year after giving birth [only two modest post-season road miles in New York and Honolulu] and that allowed me to build up my mileage.”
It is readily apparent St. Pierre, guided by coach Mark Coogan (whose charges include Glasgow 1500 bronze medalist Emily MacKay), steered a steady productive course back to elite performance.
“I’ve been consistent in my training,” she said. “My workouts have been going well. I’ve been on a groove with my racing, and I feel like most of the races that I’ve had [indoors: the 3000 in Boston, a 4:16.41 NR in the Millrose Games mile then a lung-busting USATF Indoor 3000 victory] have really helped me get to this position.
“I definitely had to do some work [at the front] in some of those previous races but it was a lot of fun to just kind of sit in the mix here.”
St. Pierre added, “I’m definitely looking ahead at the Olympics this summer. I feel like the indoors is always used as a good stepping stone, and this is definitely a big confidence booster going into the summer.”
The 3000 isn’t on the OG competition program but it feels like her 1500 PR of 3:58.03 from the ’21 Olympic Trials could be in for revision this summer if St. Pierre can stay healthy.
On the evidence displayed in Glasgow the idea of St. Pierre becoming only the second American woman to stand on an OG 1500 medal podium — after Jenny Simpson in Rio back in ’16 — doesn’t seem that far-fetched either.