Parker Valby Crushes NCAA 10K Record with 30:50 in Debut at Bryan Clay Invite
Valby took more than 27 second off the previous record set by Lisa Uhl in 2010
By Jonathan GaultFor the second time in a month, an NCAA runner has destroyed the collegiate 10,000-meter record in their debut at the distance. On March 16, Northern Arizona’s Nico Young ran 26:52.72 to take 15 seconds off Sam Chelanga‘s NCAA record and become the first collegiate man under the 27:00 barrier. On Thursday night, it was Parker Valby‘s turn as the Florida star ran 30:50.43 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif., to become the first collegiate woman under the 31:00 barrier. Valby took more than 27 seconds off the previous record of 31:18.07 set by Iowa State’s Lisa Uhl in 2010.
Valby won the race by more than two minutes and lapped every other runner in the field at least once.
Valby is the 13th American to break 31:00 and at just 21 years old, the youngest American to do it by far. Her time puts her #11 on the US all-time list, just .11 behind Deena Kastor‘s 30:50.32, which stood as the American record as recently as 2008. Kastor ran that time at the Payton Jordan Invitational on May 3, 2002 — six months before Valby was born.
Valby smashed the 31:00 barrier on Thursday night
Valby’s time puts her #5 on the 2024 world list, though she came 10 seconds shy of the Olympic standard of 30:40 — a time only eight Americans have ever run (Alicia Monson and Weini Kelati are the only Americans with the standard during the current Olympic standard).
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Valby went out in 15:30 for the first 5,000m, making sub 30:40 a huge ask.
Valby’s accomplishment was the latest in a historic year for collegiate distance running. In the last five months, Valby and Young have combined to break four of the biggest barriers in NCAA running:
First NCAA man under 13:00 for 5,000: Nico Young, 12:57.14i, Boston, January 26, 2024
First NCAA woman under 15:00 for 5,000: Parker Valby, 14:56.11i, Boston, December 2, 2023
First NCAA man under 27:00 for 10,000: Nico Young, 26:52.72, San Juan Capistrano, March 16, 2024
First NCAA woman under 31:00 for 10,000: Parker Valby, 30:50.43, Azusa, April 11, 2024
Full Race Video
Top 10 results
| Place | Athlete | School | Time | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parker Valby | Florida | 30:50.43 | 1 |
| 2 | Jenna Hutchins | BYU | 32:52.01 | 1 |
| 3 | Florance Uwajeneza | West Texas A&M | 32:52.54 | 1 |
| 4 | Eva Jess | Texas | 32:54.06 | 1 |
| 5 | Daphnee Lavassas | Miami (Fla.) | 33:00.60 | 1 |
| 6 | Brenda Tuwei | Alabama | 33:00.66 | 1 |
| 7 | Morgan Jensen | Unattached | 33:02.69 | 1 |
| 8 | Sameen Andar | UC Irvine | 33:07.48 | 1 |
| 9 | Paityn Noe | Arkansas | 33:11.74 | 1 |
| 10 | Fatima Alanis | North Carolina | 33:14.75 | 1 |
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