 Lisa Uhl winning the 2010Bix 7 Road Race | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1987-08-31)August 31, 1987 (age 38) Fort Dodge, Iowa, U.S.[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
Event(s) | 5,000m 10,000m |
| College team | Iowa State University |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest(s) | 5,000 m: 14:55.74 10,000 m: 31:12.80 |
Lisa Uhl (néeKoll) (born August 31, 1987,Fort Dodge, Iowa)[1] is an American runner. She is a four-timeNCAA Division One champion, formerNCAA record holder in the10,000 meters,[2] and the sixth fastest American woman to ever cover that distance.[3] She competed in the 10,000 meters in the2012 Summer Olympics. She competed forIowa State University.
While attendingIowa State University, Uhl won theBig 12 outdoor track and field championship in the 10,000 meters in 2007 as a Freshman. In 2008, she set theAmerican Collegiate record in the 10,000 meters with a time of 32:11.13 at theStanford Invitational inPalo Alto,California.[4] This mark was beat later that year by eventual 2008 NCAA 5,000 meter championSally Kipyego ofTexas Tech University in a time of 31:25.45. Later that year Uhl went on to win theNCAAoutdoor track and field championship, beating the field by almost a full minute, and finished 8th at the2008 United States Olympic trials inEugeneOregon.[5] During the 2008-2009 season she was named theESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year winner for track & field/cross country.[6]
At the 2010 NCAA indoor championships Uhl won the 5,000 meter run by over 10 seconds in a time of 15:39.65. Just a few months later she broke the 10,000 meter record for the second time at the Stanford Invitational, finishing with a time of 31 minutes, 18.07 seconds.[2] This stood as the record for just over 14 years, until it was broken byParker Valby by 27.64 seconds in 2024. She also dominated the outdoor collegiate 5,000 meter event. At thePayton Jordan invitational she finished fourth in an elite 5,000 meter field, beaten only by World Championship bronze medalistShannon Rowbury, Olympic bronze medalistShalane Flanagan, and reigning US national 10,000 meter championAmy Yoder Begley, in a time of 15 minutes and 17.76 seconds. It was the best NCAA 5,000 meter time in the nation that year by almost 20 seconds.[7]
Uhl's record breaking outdoor season continued when she won theBig 12 10,000 meter title, becoming the first woman ever to win four straight conference titles in the same event.[1] At her final meet as a collegian Lisa Kohl became both the NCAA outdoor 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter champion.[8] One of only four athletes to have ever done so, and the first to do it since 1996.[1] She won the 10,000 meters by over 20 seconds in a time of 32:49.35 and the 5,000 meters by over 30 seconds in a time of 15:23.80.[9]
At the end of her 2010 track season, Uhl won theHonda Sports Award as the nation's best collegiate female track and field athlete of the year[10][11][12] and was nominated as one of three athletes for the female collegiate sports person of the year (all sports).[13]
Uhl turned professional shortly after the collegiate championships, signing with Peter Stubbs Management.[14] In her first track meet as a professional she finished second in the 10,000 meters at the US national championships in a time of 32:11.72, beaten only by the reigning US national championAmy Yoder Begley. Held at her hometown track, Koll took the lead midway through the race and held it until the final lap when Begley closed in 65 seconds to finish in 32:06.45.[15]
On July 24, 2010, Uhl won theBix 7 Road Race inDavenport, Iowa, capturing the US seven mile road racing championship.[16]
In 2010, Uhl deferred entry toveterinary school at Iowa State University to move toPortland, Oregon to run forNike under a new coach,Jerry Schumacher.[17] At the 2011USA Cross Country Championships in February she took third place behindShalane Flanagan andMolly Huddle.[18]
Uhl missed most of the running season in 2011 due toplantar fasciitis, and astress fracture of herfifth metatarsal.[19]
At the2012 Olympic Trials, Uhl qualified for theLondon Olympics in the 10,000 m.[20] andfinished 13th at 2012 London Olympics in 31:12.80[21] which is the 18th fastest American ever.[22]
Uhl finished 9th in the 10,000 meters in 33:35.80 at2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[23]
In June 2014, she returned to racing at the 2014Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon - clocking 1:16:16 (5:50 per mile)[24] as her first hard workout to finish 14 out of 4434 Females. On September 7, 2014, she won theCity of Lakes Half Marathon in a time of 1:17:12.[25]
Uhl qualified for the United StatesMarathon Olympic Trials[26] on October 12 at the 2014Chicago Marathon where she finished 18th in a time of 2:40:51.[27][28][29][30]
Uhl finished 10th atPayton Jordan Invitational 3rd heat of the 5000 meters in 16:31.38 on May 2, 2015.[31][32]
Uhl won the 2015 Dam to Dam half marathon in May (77 minutes) inDes Moines, IA.[33][34]
Uhl married formerIowa State runner andDes MoinesArchitect Kiel Uhl in September 2011.[19] Kiel was inducted in 2015 class ofIowa State UniversityTrack and Field Hall of Fame.
