View source for Jen Toomey

{{short description|American middle-distance runner}}
{{About|the American athlete|the American musician and arts advocate|Jenny Toomey}}
'''Jennifer "Jen" Toomey''' (born December 19, 1971) is an American middle-distance runner who won three US national titles, broke an American record, and was a world ranked runner from 2001 to 2006.

==Career==
Toomey, now Boyd, grew up in [[Connecticut]], graduated from [[Tufts University]] with a degree in [[Biology]], and was later based in [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]].<ref name="Globe1" /> In high school, she had quit her track team hating the sport.  Almost ten years later, she took up running seriously in 1999 after training for the [[Boston Marathon]] and by 2001 had a third-place finish in the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.<ref name="Globe1">"[https://archive.today/20130216164331/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/650547341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+13,+2004&author=&pub=Boston+Globe&desc=ON+THE+FAST+TRACK+THE+DOT-COM+BUST+SENT+SALEM'S+JENNIFER+TOOMEY+TO+A+TRACK+TO+SEE+JUST+HOW+FAST+SHE+COULD+RUN+TWO+LOOPS.+THE+ANSWER:+VERY.+ARE+THE+OLYMPICS+NEXT%3F&pqatl=google On the Fast Track: The Dot-Com Bust Sent Salem's Jennifer Toomey to a Track to See Just How Fast She Could Run Two Loops. The Answer: Very. Are the Olympics Next?]", ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', June 13, 2004. Retrieved January 26, 2013</ref>

In February 2004 she broke the US indoor record for 1,000m in [[Birmingham]], England, making her the 4th fastest woman all-time in this event.<ref name="Shipley">Shipley, Amy (2004) "[https://web.archive.org/web/20160409202357/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-160742.html Toomey: All in Good Time; American Record Holder Is Hitting Her Stride at 32]", ''[[The Washington Post]]'', February 28, 2004. Retrieved January 26, 2013</ref>
She won her first US indoor titles in 2004, winning the 800m final in 2:00.02 and the 1500m final in 4:09.82, the first female athlete to accomplish this double.<ref name="Globe1" /><ref name="GolenAP">Golen, Jimmy (2004) "[https://web.archive.org/web/20160326182547/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-91633069.html Jen Toomey Takes Double at U.S. Indoors]", AP Online, March 1, 2004.</ref><ref name="Thompson">Thompson, Rich (2004) "[https://web.archive.org/web/20160415114354/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-113775524.html Toomey doubles winnings in 1,500.]", ''[[Boston Herald]]'', March 1, 2004.}</ref>  She won the 1500m again in 2005.<ref name="Golen">Golen, Jimmy (2008) "[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2008-01-24-34540130_x.htm Toomey hoping to propel comeback at Boston Indoor meet]", ''[[USA Today]]'', January 24, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2013</ref><ref name="Burrell">Marrapese-Burrell, Nancy (2005) "[http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/running/articles/2005/02/27/toomey_feeling_good_about_win_in_1500/ Toomey feeling good about win in 1,500]", ''The Boston Globe'', February 27, 2005. Retrieved January 26, 2013</ref>

With an outdoor 800m personal best of 1:59.75 outdoors and 1:59:64 indoors, gained in 2003 and 2004 respectively, Toomey was regarded as one of the best 800-meter runners in the world in the mid-2000s.<ref name="iaaf">"[http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/united-states/jennifer-toomey Athlete Profile: Jennifer Toomey]", iaaf.org. Retrieved January 26, 2013</ref><ref name="Matson">Matson, Barbara (2008) "Home run was timely", ''The Boston Globe'', January 26, 2008</ref>

She finished second in the 1500m at the US Olympic trials but was prevented from competing in the [[2004 Athens Olympics]] by a knee injury and an [[Adductor muscles of the hip|adductor]] strain.<ref name="Matson" /> She subsequently relocated to [[Flagstaff, Arizona]], where she worked with coach [[Jack Daniels (coach)|Jack Daniels]].<ref name="Golen" /> She returned to competition, clocking personal bests at 1500m in 2005 (indoors) and a mile in 2006 (outdoors), but had to again take a break due to injuries including [[stress fracture]]s in both feet, and a torn [[Meniscus (anatomy)|meniscus]].<ref name="Golen" /><ref name="iaaf" /> She returned to Salem and her old coach Tom McDermott, and made a competitive comeback in 2008.<ref name="Golen" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Footer US NC Indoor 800m Women}}
{{Footer US NC Indoor Mile Women}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toomey, Jen}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Connecticut]]
[[Category:American female middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Tufts Jumbos athletes]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]
[[Category:Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences alumni]]