By Nick Dahl
Something world shattering just happened on July 17th, and 95% of the population most likely didn't even notice.
On a track very few people were watching, in a meet very few people knew was happening, 14 exceptional female mid-distance runners took the track in the Herculis Monaco to set history. On a perfect night in one of the most exclusive track arenas in the world, this stacked field of athletes set out together against the clock to shatter the 1500m race world record, in a singular pursuit of unquestioned dominance and a place in the history books.
Streaming only on the Eurosport Channel, these women, led by pacemaker Chanelle Price, the indoor 800 world champion, set out to shatter a record so difficult, many were quick to declare it unbeatable. And for 22 years, it seemed to be just that. Three national records and one world record later, this is obviously no longer the case.
To the shock and awe of the world, Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia ran a time of 3:50.07 over 1500 meters, a new world record, taking down the previous record of 3:50.46 by Qu Yunxia of China, which had stood for 22 years before Friday night. That record, one of the longest standing times in history, was thought by many for years to be unbreakable. Yunxia, when she ran her world record time in 1993, shattered the previous record, run by Tatyana Kazankina, by a margin of over two seconds--practically an eon in track time standards. Kazankina herself had lowered the record by over six seconds, so Yunxia's time was practically invincible.
Or so many thought.
Dibaba came storming onto the 1500-meter scene this year, with a time of 3:54.11 in Barcelona on July 8, the fastest race by a female in over 18 years. Traditionally seen as a 5,000-meter racer, this was a break in character for Genzebe Dibaba, and it showed her ability to condense her dominant long distance fitness into a mid-distance race. Dibaba has spent her entire outdoor season this year trying – and not succeeding – to break her older sister Tirunesh Dibaba's world record 5,000-meter time of 14:11.15, so many were surprised when she changed her pursuit and went after the 1500-meter race.
The race itself was something of beauty. Chanelle Price, the designated pacemaker, took Genzebe Dibaba out in a time of 2:04.2 for the first 800 meters, or roughly half of the race. This time was not quite what Dibaba was looking for, but it was fast enough to keep her in contention for the record. In a blistering third lap without Price to break the wind, Dibaba dropped a 59.8, and just like that she had not only launched herself into an unquestioned first place lead, but also into world record position. Finishing strong with the cheers of thousands of spectators propelling her down the final straightaway, the race, record, and night all belonged to her.
Right behind Genzebe, two other amazing storylines were playing out as part of this magical race in Monaco. The second-place finisher, Sifan Hassan, set a national record for the Dutch, running a time of 3:56.05. She has been racing like a maniac this year, winning titles left and right, including the under-23 championship at the 2013 European Cross Country Championships and the gold medal in 1500-meters at the European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014. Her time on Friday night was the 24th fastest in history, and the best time ever run by a female competitor out of the Netherlands. And more impressive than any of that, she ran one of the gutsiest races of the night, fighting to stay even with Dibaba for three full laps, before finally succumbing to her devilishly speedy kick, and salvaging a last lap at the brink of exhaustion. Perhaps it was a death wish to challenge the fastest woman in history, but it was one that worked out well for Hassan.
Right behind her, finishing third overall, the American Shannon Rowbury set an all time US national record in a time of 3:56.29, bettering Mary Decker's previous mark of 3:57.12. Rowbury, running alongside her American teammate Jennifer Simpson, pushed behind Dibaba, and in the final lap outkicked Simpson for a lifetime best and a new national record. Decker's record, set in Stockholm during the 1983 World Championships, was another time thought to be unbeatable by most, and it wasn't until this year that experts even considered Rowbury a viable candidate to be the one to bring it down.
It is worth noting that every single competitor in the race set some sort of record, whether it be a national one, a personal one, or even just a season best. Because of the pristine rabbiting effort of Chanelle Price, who was in charge of pacing the beginning and then dropping out to allow the competitors to continue on, everything went according to plan, and the competitiveness was kept at a minimum between athletes. To be blunt, everybody was out there racing against the clock, and their placement couldn't have mattered less. The race as a whole was one of the most dominant showings of human fortitude in recent years, and it was a huge moment that will be remembered by track fans for generations to come.
Genzebe Dibaba, Shannon Rowbury, and the rest of the women's 1500m field did something that will live on as their legacy long after they've finished racing. They showed up the men's field, which also performed incredibly well, and made themselves the spectacle of the meet. The diamonds of the Diamond League, if you will. And for Dibaba, it will only go up from here. Next she'll go after the 5,000 meter record at Worlds. And honestly, it looks as though nobody will get in her way.
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