 Houlihan winning the 1500 meters at the2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Shelby Christine Prince Houlihan |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | (1993-02-08)February 8, 1993 (age 32) Sioux City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event(s) | 5000 meters 1500 meters 800 meters |
| College team | Arizona State University Sun Devils |
| Club | Bowerman Track Club |
| Turned pro | 2015 |
| Coached by | Jerry Schumacher |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbests | |
Medal record | |
Shelby Houlihan (born February 8, 1993) is an Americanmiddle distance runner, Olympian and World Record holder in the 4x1500m relay. Houlihan competed in the 5000m final at the2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, finishing 11th. She is a 12-time US National Champion winning seven indoor and five outdoor titles in middle-distance events. While atArizona State University she won the 2014 NCAA 1500m championship.
On June 11, 2021, Houlihan was banned from the sport for four years following an anti-doping violation for use ofnandrolone, which was upheld by theCAS on appeal.[2][3] Her ban ended on January 13, 2025.
Shelby Houlihan was born inSioux City, Iowa. Her mother and uncle were both competitive runners, as well as her half-sister.[4]
Houlihan attendedEast High School in Sioux City. She held high schoolpersonal records of 4:43.64 in theone mile run, 2:07.35 in the800 meter run, and 4:26.39 in the1500 meter run.[5] She was the 2011 IowaGatorade Player of the Year awards Girls Track and Field Runner of the Year and the 2010 IowaGatorade Player of the Year awards Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. She claimed eight Drake Relays crowns, while also earning the title of Drake Relays Outstanding Female High School Performer for being the first female athlete from a high school to win three events in one year. Houlihan graduated from East in 2011.[6]
Houlihan attendedArizona State University for college. She was the 2014NCAA champion in the1500 meters atArizona State University as a junior.[7] She was the first student at Arizona State University to win a national individual title in the outdoor 1,500.
Houlihan was a 12-timeNCAA Division IAll-American, the second most in Arizona State history,[8][1] and anNCAATrack champion.[5] She holdsArizona State Sun Devils school records in the 800 meters, 1500 meters, one mile, and3000 meters.[9][10]
Houlihan began competing forNike and theBowerman Track Club under coachJerry Schumacher in 2015. She was among seven women who were trained by Schumacher who made it to the Olympics. Houlihan said of her teammates, "After watching all of my teammates make the team, I knew that I could do the same. The prelim felt very easy and gave me a lot of confidence going into the final. I thought the final would most likely be much faster, but I knew I was fit and capable of handling a fast pace." She also stated, "It's just amazing to have teammates be able to push me every day. It's something I've never had before. Even that has put me above and beyond what I've done before. Obviously, I made the right decision for me."[11]
Houlihan qualified for the2014 North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association Championship in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada where Houlihan won gold in the 800 meters in 2:03.00 ahead of Rachel Francois andJenna Westaway.[12]
Houlihan qualified for the2016 Summer Olympics in the women's5000 meters after finishing second in the US trials toMolly Huddle.[13] When she finished the race, Houlihan cried. Houlihan said of the moment, "I've been working for that moment my entire life and for it all to come together and happen was one of the most amazing experiences of my life".[14]
Houlihan placed fourth in her heat in the 5000 m preliminary at the Olympics, qualifying her for the final.[15][16] Houlihan placed 11th in the 5000m final with a time of 15:08.89, finishing as the highest-placing American.[6] After the race, she said, "I didn't place as high as I wanted to, and I've got to take that as a learning step and just try to move forward and make me stronger. I wouldn't have guessed I'd be doing the 5K this year. Ideally, I'd like to stick with it. Once I get the (mileage) volume up and get more aerobically strong, I'm going to be even more of a threat. I'm excited to see where that could take me."
Houlihan's hometown minor league hockey team, theSioux City Musketeers, honored her after the Olympics with anovation andceremonial first puck.[17]
Houlihan placed 6th in 4:23.0 at the 2016Fifth Avenue Mile.[18]
Houlihan qualified for the London2017 World Championships in the women's 5000 meters after winning the 5000 meters at the2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Houlihan ran 15:00.37 to place 3rd in the preliminaries and ran 15:06.40 to place 13th in thefinal.
At the2018 World Indoor Championships, making up more than 10 meters on the final lap, Houlihan passedFantu Worku to place 5th (8:50.38) in the3000 meters final and 4th in 4:11.93 at the1500 meters final for the2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships after winning the 3000 meters (9:00.08) and the 1500 meters (4:13.07) titles at the2018 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships inAlbuquerque, New Mexico.
On July 21, 2018, Houlihan ran the 5000 m in 14:34.45 inHeusden, Belgium. Assisted by pacerShalane Flanagan, Houlihan brokeShannon Rowbury's 2016American record of 14:38.92.[19]
Houlihan placed second in the 1500 m at the2018 IAAF Continental Cup.
At the2019 World Outdoor Championships, Houlihan set a personal best and new American record of 3:54.99 in the final of the 1500m, finishing in 4th place.[20]
On July 10, at a Bowerman Track Club time trial, Houlihan broke her own American record in the 5000m in a time of 14:23.92, just ahead of teammateKarissa Schweizer in 14:26.34.[21][22] On July 31, Houlihan, along withColleen Quigley,Elise Cranny andKarissa Schweizer established a World Record in the women's 4x1500 meters relay with a time of 16:27.02, eclipsing the previous World Record of 16:33.58 set by a quartet of Kenyan runners on May 25, 2014. The record was ratified in December 2020.[23]
On June 11, 2021, Houlihan received a four-year ban, retroactive to January 14 of the same year, from the sport due to testing positive fornandrolone, an anabolic steroid ostensibly used to increase muscle mass. Houlihan said the positive result might have come from her eating contaminatedpork the night before the test.[2] Houlihan appealed her suspension toCAS, who upheld the ban. She became eligible to compete again on January 13, 2025.[3][24]
Houlihan returned to racing in February 2025, winning the indoor 3000 meters in 8:31.56 at the Razorback Invitational in Arkansas.[25]
In March 2025, she won a silver medal in the 3000 meters at the World Indoor Championships inNanjing.[26]
During her doping suspension, Houlihan was allowed to participate in the Beer Mile World Classic's "Legends & Elites Race." She won the women's division and set a new world record of 5:43.81, becoming the first woman to break six-minutes. However, due to her ban from USATF events, organizers did not allow Houlihan to compete in the women's championship beer mile.[27][28]
| Championship | Event | Venue | Place | Time |
| 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships | 3000m | Nanjing, China | 2nd | 8:38.26 |
