Shannon Rowbury broke two minutes in the 800 meters for the first time in her career tonight. In a slow-starting and sparsely attended race in Eugene, Rowbury and Brenda Martinez were second and third for the second time this month. Martinez outkicked Rowbury for second tonight, and Rowbury outkicked Martinez for second in the Olympic Trials 1500m.



Rowbury and Martinez are both U.S. Olympians in the 1500m, though Martinez only switched her focus from the 800m after falling in the 800m final in the first half of the Olympic Trials earlier this month.

Rowbury came into the race with a 2:00 PR, and got on the right side of that round number for the first time. Rabbit Megan Malasarte went out in 57 seconds, but the field gave her a wide berth, passing through the first lap 15 meters or more behind her. Rowbury and Martinez--like true 1500m runners-- both ran their two laps with a less than two-second differential between the first and second lap. Take a look at the splits:


The two finished well clear of rest of the field, but behind Melissa Bishop of Canada. Bishop was the silver medalist in the 800m at last year's world championships.

Rowbury has spent the last three years getting on the right side of several minute barriers. At the beginning of 2014, her PRs in the major outdoor events were 2:00 (from 2010), 4:00 (from 2008), and 15:00 (from 2010). She joined the Nike Oregon Project in September 2013, ran 14:48 and 3:59 in 2015, set the 1500m American record of 3:56 in 2015, and now has broken two minutes for the first time in 2016.