Elinor Purrier St. Pierre (born February 20, 1995), better known as Elle Purrier St. Pierre[a], is an American track and field athlete who specializes in middle-distance and long-distance running. She won a gold medal in the 3000 meters at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Purrier is a two-time Olympian for the United States, making the final in the 1500m at both the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
 Purrier after winning silver at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 3000 metres | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Elinor Purrier | |||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Elinor Purrier St. Pierre | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 20, 1995 Montgomery Center, Vermont, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 1500 m One mile 3000 m 3000 m steeplechase 5000 m | |||||||||||||||||
| College team | New Hampshire | |||||||||||||||||
| Club | New Balance Boston | |||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2018 | |||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Mark Coogan | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life and youth sports
editPurrier was raised in Montgomery Center, Vermont, a small town near the Canadian border.[1][2] She lived on a dairy farm, where she woke up at 5 a.m. each day before school to milk cows and perform other chores, such as throwing hay bales and caring for pigs.[1][3] At Richford High School, Purrier took up running alongside basketball. She competed at a high level in track and cross country, with first-place finishes at the New England Cross Country Championships and Northeast Regional championships for the Nike Cross Nationals. She was named Vermont Gatorade Cross Country Athlete of the Year three times, receiving the honor in 2010, 2011, and 2012.[4] Purrier was later inducted into the hall of fame of the Vermont Principals' Association in 2022.[4]
College competition
editPurrier competed for the University of New Hampshire from 2013 to 2018, where she was NCAA champion and an 11-time All-American.[5] As a freshman, she ran 4:36 in the mile.[6] By her sophomore year, she improved her time to 4:29.71, setting a school record and achieving one of the top ten fastest times by a collegiate athlete. Her fast time in the mile marked her as a favorite to win the event at the 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.[6] At those championships, she finished third after leading for much of the race but was overtaken in the final stretch.[7] Later that year, Purrier improved one place to take second in the mile at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Following several podium finishes at previous NCAA championships, Purrier won a title in the mile at the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, finishing in 4:31.76. She led for most of the race and finished just ahead of Dani Jones and Niki Hiltz, with less than a second difference between them.[8]
Purrier also competed at a high level in the steeple while at the University of New Hampshire. In 2014, she won a national title in the 3000 meter steeplechase,[9] and went on to place ninth in the final of the event at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Athletics. Later in her collegiate career, she finished third in the steeplechase at the 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships. In 2016, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Purrier its Northeast Region Track Athlete of the Year.[10] Purrier majored in nutrition, graduating in 2018.
Professional career
editPurrier signed with New Balance in July 2018.[11]
2019
editAt the 2019 USA Indoor Championships, Purrier finished sixth in the mile and won the bronze medal in the two miles. At the 2019 USA Outdoor Championships, she won the bronze medal in the 5000 m.[12] Purrier competed at the 2019 World Championships in October and finished 11th in the 5000 m.[13]
2020
editAt the 2020 Millrose Games on February 8, Purrier broke the American record for the indoor mile with a time of 4:16.85.[14] At the 2020 USA Indoor Championships, she finished fourth in the 5000 m.[12]
2021
editOn February 13, 2021, Purrier broke the American indoor two mile record with a time of 9:10.28.[15] At the 2020 USA Olympic Trials, she won the gold medal in the 1500 m with a time of 3:58.03, setting a personal best and breaking the meet record.[16] Purrier competed at the 2020 Olympic Games in August 2021. She finished 10th in the 1500 m.[12]
2022
editAt the 2022 USA Indoor Championships, Purrier won the bronze medal in the 1500 m and the gold medal in the 3000 m. She competed at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in March and won the silver medal in the 3000 m.[17]
While pregnant, Purrier competed at the 2022 USA Outdoor Championships and won the bronze medal in the 1500 m.[18] She competed at the 2022 World Championships in July and did not advance to the final of the 1500 m.
2024
editIn February 2024, Purrier broke her own American record at the Wanamaker Mile race at the Millrose Games in New York City, running 4:16.41.[19] In her first major international competition since giving birth to her first child, Purrier won gold in the 3000 meters at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.[20] Her race set the American record for the 3000m.
Personal life
editPurrier is a dairy farmer from Vermont.[18] She married her longtime boyfriend Jamie St. Pierre in 2020 and gave birth to their son in March 2023.[12]
Championship results
editNational
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing the University of New Hampshire | ||||||
| 2014 | USA Junior Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 1st | 3000 m s'chase | 10:24.46 | |
| 2016 | USA Olympic Trials | Eugene, Oregon | 28th | 3000 m s'chase | 10:08.39[21] | |
| Representing New Balance | ||||||
| 2018 | USA Outdoor Championships | Des Moines, Iowa | 6th | 1500 m | 4:09.30 | |
| 2019 | USA Indoor Championships[22] | New York, New York | 6th | One mile | 4:32.69 | |
| 3rd | Two miles | 9:34.65 | ||||
| USA Outdoor Championships | Des Moines, Iowa | 3rd | 5000 m | 15:17.46 | ||
| 2020 | USA Indoor Championships | Albuquerque, New Mexico | 4th | 3000 m | 8:56.56 | |
| 2021 | USA Olympic Trials | Eugene, Oregon | 1st | 1500 m | 3:58.03 PB | |
| 2022 | USA Indoor Championships | Spokane, Washington | 3rd | 1500 m | 4:06.14 | |
| 1st | 3000 m | 8:41.53 | ||||
| USA Outdoor Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 3rd | 1500 m | 4:05.14 | ||
| 20th | 5000 m | 16:15.83 | ||||
International
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | World Junior Championships | Eugene, OR, United States | 9th | 3000 m s'chase | 10:21.59 |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 11th | 5000 m | 14:58.17 |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 10th | 1500 m | 4:01.75 |
| 2022 | World Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 2nd | 3000 m | 8:42.04 |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 1st | 3000 m | 8:20.87 |
| Olympic Games | Paris, France | 8th | 1500 m | 3:57.52 |
Personal bests
editAll sourced from World Athletics, as of February 11, 2024.[23]
| Discipline | Mark | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 meters | 1:59.99 | Irvine, CA (USA) | May 15, 2021 | |
| 1500 meters | 3:55.99 | Hayward Field, Eugene, OR (USA) | June 30, 2024 | |
| One mile | 4:30.30 | Alexander Stadium, Birmingham (GBR) | August 18, 2019 | |
| 3000 meters | 8:46.43 | Cork (IRL) | July 16, 2018 | |
| 5000 meters | 14:34.12 | Los Angeles, CA (USA) | May 17, 2024 | |
| 3000 meters steeplechase | 9:43.65 | Providence, RI (USA) | April 15, 2017 | |
| One mile road | 4:25.0 | Honolulu, HI (USA) | December 7, 2019 | |
| 4x800 meters relay | 8:47.16 | Durham, NH (USA) | May 7, 2017 |
| Discipline | Mark | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 meters | 2:03.64 | Boston, MA (USA) | February 24, 2018 | |
| 1000 meters | 2:46.02 | Durham, NH (USA) | January 16, 2016 | |
| 1500 meters | 4:00.20 | Armory Track, New York, NY (USA) | February 8, 2020 | |
| One mile | 4:16.41 | Armory Track, New York, NY (USA) | February 11, 2024 | North American record |
| 3000 meters | 8:20.87 | Commonwealth Arena, Glasgow, UK | March 2, 2024 | North American record |
| Two miles | 9:10.28 | Ocean Breeze Athl. Complex, New York, NY (USA) | February 13, 2021 | North American record |
| 4x800 meters relay | 9:15.98 | Durham, NH (USA) | January 16, 2016 | |
| Distance medley relay | 10:33.85 | The Track at New Balance, Boston, MA (USA) | April 15, 2022 | World record (p) |
References
edit- ^ a b Grossfeld, Stan (April 3, 2018). "Here's how a dairy farmer from Vermont became an NCAA track champ - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Dickinson, Marley (November 29, 2023). "U.S. Olympian Elle Purrier St. Pierre on balancing pro running and parenthood". Canadian Running Magazine. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Lorge Butler, Sarah (September 8, 2019). "As Elle Purrier Heads to Worlds, the Hay Is in the Barn". Runner's World. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Laroche, Ruthie (February 15, 2022). "Elle Purrier St. Pierre inducted into 2022 Vermont Principals' Association Hall of Fame". Saint Albans Messenger. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Abrami, Alex (June 21, 2021). "Tokyo-bound! Vermont's Elle Purrier St. Pierre wins 1,500 to clinch US Olympic spot". Foster's Daily Democrat. Dover, New Hampshire. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ a b LetsRun.com (March 4, 2016). "2016 NCAA W Mile Preview: Can UNH's Elinor Purrier Win One For the Small Schools?". LetsRun.com. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ LetsRun.com (March 12, 2016). "NCAA Mile Finals: Henry Wynne Wins By Controlling It From The Front; Kaela Edwards' Patience Pays Off". LetsRun.com. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ LetsRun.com (March 10, 2018). "Favorites Josh Kerr and Elle Purrier Win NCAA Mile Titles In Contrasting Ways". LetsRun.com. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Lotsbom, Chris (July 24, 2014). "RRW: Fast Finish Earns American Elinor Purrier Spot in WJC Steeple Final". LetsRun.com. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ "Sports Shorts: Purrier receives top track award". Foster's Daily Democrat. March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Elinor Purrier profile bringbackthemile.com
- ^ a b c d "Elle St. Pierre". usatf.org. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ "5000 Metres women". iaaf.org. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
- ^ Abrami, Alex (February 8, 2020). "Elle Purrier smashes American indoor mile record at Millrose Games". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ Danforth, Austin (February 13, 2021). "Elle Purrier races to another US record in 2-mile at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, Vermont. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ "US Track and Field Olympic Trials 2021, results". Tokyo 2020. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ Johnson, Robert; Gault, Jonathan (March 18, 2022). "Elle Purrier St. Pierre takes 3000m silver as Lemlem Hailu wins to cap day 1 at 2022 World Indoors". LetsRun.com. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Gregory, Sean. "An Olympic Runner Is Asking You—On Her Due Date—To Stop Judging Pregnant Women". time.com. March 3, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ Robinson, Shaun (February 12, 2024). "Vermont's Elle Purrier St. Pierre sets new US track and field record". VTDigger.
- ^ Ormsbee, Molly (March 4, 2024). "Elle Purrier St. Pierre takes first at world championship". WPTZ. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ 2016 RESULTS - U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS - TRACK & FIELD RunnerSpace.com
- ^ "2019 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships Results". RunnerSpace.com. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ "Elle ST. PIERRE | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
External links
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