Simpson smashes American 2 mile record at Drake Relays
American snags sixth Drake Relays championship despite headwind
Records are meant to be broken!
Jenny Simpson breaks the American two-mile record at the 2018 @DrakeRelays with a time of 9 minutes 16.78 seconds! pic.twitter.com/E60K6SF9Al
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) April 28, 2018
Jenny Simpson won the elite women’s 2-mile race to the sound of a roaring crowd on Friday at the Blue Oval in Des Moines, Iowa, with a time of 9:16.78, setting a new American outdoor record in the process. She is now a six-time champion at Drake Relays.
The previous record was 9:20.25.
Simpson, 31, who was raised in Iowa, had her work cut out for her on the cool, windy track Friday night, but was determined to nail the record.
It was a magical night on the #BlueOval The excitement of the crowd overpowered the intensity of the wind!!! Thank you for the help Iowa!!! ??? https://t.co/3LlbgRmOHo
— Jenny Simpson (@trackjenny) April 28, 2018
Simpson is a three-time Olympian won the bronze medal in the 1,500 meters in Rio in 2016. She also won silver at the world championships last year.
Brenda Martinez, another American superstar, was third, in 9:32.82. Canada’s Erin Teschuk finished 12th.
Simpson will race the 3,000m in the Diamond League at Doha, Qatar next month.