PALO ALTO - Making her debut at 10,000 meters, Shalane Flanagan (Pittsboro, NC) smashed the American record by 17 seconds, running 30:34.49 Sunday at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in Palo Alto, CA.

After trading the lead with Kim Smith of New Zealand throughout the last half of the race, Flanagan made her move in the final 200 meters for a one second win as she led Smith and eight other women under the Olympic "A" standard of 31:45.

In addition to the American Record, Flanagan's time is a world leader for 2008 and is the fastest 10,000 ever by a woman on North American soil.