A year ago, Annie and Bill Coburn made a reservation through Airbnb for an apartment in Rio, planning ahead to watch their daughter, Emma Coburn, compete in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.
The night before the final, Annie was so nervous she couldn’t sleep at all. The family, including Coburn’s three siblings, who range in age from 29 to 15 (she’s the third of the four), got to the track hours ahead of the 10:45 a.m. race time.
“As you get closer to race day, she gets less effervescent, a little more serious and more serious,” Bill said of his daughter. “But she’s kind of even-keeled. And the rest of us are all over the place.”
That was never more true than on August 15, when they watched Coburn move into third place with two laps to go in her race and hang on for bronze—and an American record.
Published: Aug 16, 2016 5:32 PM EDT.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World Pro Runners Ask: Is My Agent Worth the Fee, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
