Australian athlete Genevieve Gregson

Genevieve Gregson is an Australian athlete who specializes in the 3,000m steeplechase event, as well as the middle and long distances. She competed at four Olympic Games and won eight national titles in difference events.

Born on August 4, 1989, in Benowa, Queensland, Australia, Genevieve Gregson began her athletic journey at a young age, taking up running at the age of nine. She later received an athletics scholarship to the University of Florida.

Genevieve Gregson started competitive career already in 2003, winning the 1,500m bronze at the Brisbane QLD Super Series. During the next season, she won the 3,000m gold at the Sydney IGA Australian All Schools Athletics U16 Championships and 800m silver at the Brisbane Super Series. She continue gaining experience during the next seasons and in 2006, won the 3,000m gold at the Sydney Australian All-Schools U18 Championships, while in 2007 won the 3,000m gold at the Brisbane QLD All-Schools Championships.

Genevieve Gregson started competing regularly in 2009, winning the bronze at the College Station Big 12 vs SEC in a mile run, as well as the 3,000m steeplechase gold at the Gainesville Florida Relays. Meanwhile, during the season, she won the 5,000m silver at the Philadelphia Penn Relays. In 2011, she repeated her success at the Philadelphia Penn Relays, but this time winning the silver in 3,000m steeplechase. At the same event, she also finished 5th at the Des Moines NCAA Division I Championships.

In 2012, Genevieve Gregson achieved notable success, finishing second in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Melbourne Track Classic and securing first place in both the 3,000m steeplechase and the 1,500m race at the Indianapolis American Milers Club. She also earned the silver at the Des Moines NCAA Division I Championships in 3,000m steeplechase and the bronze at the Dublin Morton International Games in one mile. She competed at the London Olympics in her main event, but did not overcome the heats.

Genevieve Gregson made her Diamond League debut in 2013, competing in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Birmingham Sainsbury’s Grand Prix, but did not finished. During the season she won the gold at the Tallahassee FSU Relays and Ponce Grand Prix in hew crown event, but also competed at the Melbourne IAAF World Challenge in 1,500m, but finished 4th. Meanwhile, Genevieve Gregson also triumphed with her first national title in 3,000m steeplechase at the Sydney Australian Open Championships.

In 2014, Genevieve Gregson finished 4th at the Melbourne IAAF World Challenge in 3,000m steeplechase, as well as 7th at the Brisbane Queensland Track Classic in 800m. At the Melbourne Australian Championships, she earned the bronze in her main event. Genevieve Gregson continue the season strongly, by finished 5th at the Eagle Rock USATF High Performance Distance Classic and 9th in the Golden Spike Ostrava 2014, as well as winning the silver at the Oordegem IFAM Meeting. By the end of the season she competed in three Diamond League meetings in 3,000m steeplechase, finishing 9th in Glasgow, 13th in Stockholm, and 14th in Birmingham. Meanwhile, she competed at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, finishing 5th.

Genevieve Gregson won another national title in 2015, triumphing at the Brisbane Australian Championships in her crown event 3,000m steeplechase. Meanwhile, she competed at the Diamond League meetings in New York, Lausanne, and Monaco, but again missed the honors, finishing 4th, 13th, and 14th, respectively. Genevieve Gregson also competed at the Beijing IAAF World Championships, but failed to overcome the heats and did not qualify for the finals.

The 2016 season was another Olympics year for Genevieve Gregson, who qualified for the Rio Games in 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m, reaching the finals in the both events and finished 9th and 12th, respectively. Meanwhile, she won the silver at the Melbourne IAAF World Challenge and earned her first Diamond League honor in 3,000m steeplechase at the Stockholm BAUHAUS Galan. Meanwhile, she won the 5,000m gold at the Lapinlahti Savo Games, as well as the 800m silver and 3,000m steeplechase gold at the Kuortane Games. At the Sydney Australian Championships, she won the gold in 5,000m and silver in 3,000m steeplechase. At the Paris Diamond League she set a personal best and national record in the 3,000m steeplechase of 9:14.28 min.

In 2017, Genevieve Gregson started strongly by winning the silver at the Melbourne NITRO Athletics in a mile run, before finishing 9th at the prestigious Birmingham Muller Indoor Grand Prix in 3,000m. In her crown event, 3,000m steeplechase, she competed at the London IAAF World Championships in Athletics, finishing 12th in the final, as well as Zagreb IAAF World Challenge, finishing 5th.

In the 3,000m steeplechase, Genevieve Gregson finished 5th and narrowly missed the honors at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, but won the bronze at the Berlin ISTAF. She also earned the bronze at the Sydney Albie Thomas in a mile run.

Genevieve Gregson continue performing strongly in 2019, winning the bronze at the Palio Citta della Quercia and finishing 10th in the final of the Doha IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 3,000m steeplechase. She also competed in longer distance, winning the gold at the Zatopek:10 – Australian 10,000m Championships.

Genevieve Gregson started the 2020 season by winning the 5,000m bronze at the Melbourne Track Classic and 10,000m gold at the Queensland 10,000m Championships. During the season she won also the gold at the NoblePro MK5km PB Special in 5km road run, as well as Launceston Running Festival C5 Pro-Solutions in 10km road run.

In 2021, Genevieve Gregson competed on her third Olympics, being part of the Team Australia for Tokyo Games, where recorded a time of 9:26.11 min in her heat for the Women’s 3,000m steeplechase, advancing her to the final. Regrettably, she experienced a fall during the race and was unable to finish. Meanwhile, during the season, she won the 10,000m bronze at the Zatopek 10, 1,500m gold at the Melbourne Track Classic, 3,000m steeplechase gold at the Queensland Track Classic, and the 3,000m gold at the Australian 3000m Championships. At the Sydney Australian Championships, she earned the gold in 3,000m steeplechase and the bronze in 1,500m.

Genevieve Gregson had a break from competitive athletics in 2022 to give birth to her first child. She returned only at the end of the season to finish 5th at the Oceania 10km Road Running Championships and 10th at the Noosa Asics Bolt 5km.

In 2023, Genevieve Gregson focused also on long-distance running together with the middle distance. She won the 1,500m gold at the Sally Pearson Shield, before debuting in the marathon to win the bronze at the Gold Coast Marathon. She also won the titles at the Australian Cross Country Championships, Australian Half Marathon Championships, Australian 12km Road Running Championships, and finished 8th at the Maraton Valencia Trinidad Alfonso.

In 2024, Genevieve Gregson made her fourth appearance at the Olympics in Paris Games. This time she competed at the marathon and finished 24th.

Genevieve Gregson in numbers

8x National champion
1x Diamond League bronze medalist
4x Olympic Games appearances
Personal best: 9:14.28 min (3,000m steeplechase), 8:45.81 min (3,000m), 4:09.40 min (1,500m), 15:06.67 min (5,000m), 32:06.32 min (10,000m), 2:23:08 hours (marathon)

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