Tim Rowberry’s coaching journey is as unconventional as the feats of his star athlete, Sifan Hassan. In a historic series of performances at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hassan secured a bronze in the 5,000m, another bronze in the 10,000m, and capped it off with a marathon gold.
These achievements came four years after her Tokyo triumph, where she won two golds and a bronze. In an interview with LetsRun, Rowberry detailed his unorthodox path, his coaching philosophies, and the strategies behind Hassan’s Olympic success.
Rowberry, a former middle-distance runner, began his coaching career in the background, serving as a pacer and assistant for the controversial Nike Oregon Project. It wasn’t long before he formed a close bond with Hassan, an emerging star at the time. When talking about their early years together, Rowberry said, “I was really a personal coach, making sure she was doing all the things they asked at the time. I was with her from morning until night, cooking meals, watching TV, and being there every step of the way.”
This close bond laid the foundation for a trusting relationship, and when the Oregon Project dissolved in 2019 following its head coach, Alberto Salazar’s ban for doping related infractions, Hassan chose Rowberry to continue as her coach despite Nike’s initial doubts. “She kind of took a risk on me,” Rowberry admitted, but her confidence in his methods paid dividends.
Preparing for the Olympic Triple
The idea of Hassan competing in three grueling events in Paris wasn’t initially part of the plan.
According to Rowberry, the concept emerged after they tested her endurance in 2023. Hassan successfully transitioned from the London Marathon to the World Championships and then to the Chicago Marathon within a few months. Rowberry explained that this experiment “was a test to see if she could go from a marathon to the track and back to a marathon.”
The historical precedent of Emil Zátopek, who famously completed the 5,000m, 10,000m, and marathon at the 1952 Olympics, also influenced their decision. “A Dutch reporter gave me a book about Zátopek during the London Marathon, and it put the idea in our heads,” Rowberry said.
It wasn’t until just weeks before the Paris Olympics that Hassan fully committed to the triple. “She really took the maximum amount of time to decide,” Rowberry revealed, even considering the quadruple attempt for some time.
Training for Extremes
Hassan’s training for the Olympic triple combined marathon-specific endurance with high-intensity speedwork for shorter distances. “The philosophy was an extreme approach,” Rowberry explained. “We combined marathon long runs with speed workouts that didn’t seem directly related to the marathon, like those for the 1,500 or 5,000 meters.”
Key to her preparation were occasional marathon-distance runs, often exceeding 30 kilometers. These sessions, however, were balanced carefully to avoid burnout. “We wouldn’t push those extreme runs more than once a month,” Rowberry noted.
Their preparation also included a unique approach to recovery. After a subpar 1500m race in July, where Hassan clocked 4:04, they scaled back her training. “She essentially took two weeks off,” Rowberry said. This cautious rebuilding phase helped Hassan peak at the Olympics.
The Role of Mentality
Hassan’s achievements are as much a testament to her mindset as her physical training.
Rowberry emphasized that many athletes fail to attempt such challenges because they view them as impossible. “The only reason people don’t balance extreme events is that they simply don’t train for it,” he argued. “If you think something’s impossible, you’re not going to train for it.”
Hassan’s willingness to take risks, even at the cost of potential failure, set her apart. Rowberry described her approach as fearless: “You have to go into these things thinking, I might not get a medal in anything. But you have to believe it’s possible.”
Addressing Doping Allegations
Given Hassan’s remarkable performances, critics have questioned their legitimacy. Rowberry firmly dismissed such claims, pointing to her consistent trajectory and the ups and downs in her career. “People who immediately jump to doping have already shut themselves out of the possibility of performing better because they don’t think it’s possible,” he said.
He also highlighted Hassan’s transparency and the setbacks she has faced, including a year-long hiatus after the Tokyo Olympics. “She doesn’t always have great races,” Rowberry noted. “We’ve had our share of challenges.”
An Independent Coach with Big Aspirations
Despite coaching one of the most successful athletes in the world, Rowberry remains an independent coach without a contract from a major brand. His group consists primarily of Hassan and Halimah Nakaayi, the 2019 world champion in the 800m. Rowberry expressed a desire to expand his group but noted the lack of inquiries. “The only reason I don’t have more athletes is because people haven’t asked,” he said.
Financially, Hassan supports most of the group’s expenses, including Rowberry’s coaching fee. While he enjoyed his time with Nike, Rowberry acknowledged that independence offers him flexibility. “I love Nike, but not having a contract gives us a lot of freedom. I only answer to Sifan and myself.”
Rowberry’s work with Hassan showcases a calculated and methodical approach to pushing boundaries in elite athletics. Through precise planning, a willingness to adapt, and rigorous attention to both physical and mental preparation, the pair navigated uncharted territory in the sport. Hassan’s triple at the Paris Olympics wasn’t the result of a single extraordinary effort but a culmination of years of careful experimentation and execution.
