Courtesty of USATF

Of all the records set at the Texas Relays probably none came more unexpectedly than the one on April 4, 1991. One of the events that day was the women's 10,000 meters and entered was Francie Larrieu Smith, one of the finest American women distance runners in history.

Larrieu Smith was using the race to get a qualifying mark for the World Outdoor Championships in Tokyo later that year, needing a time of 32:50 or faster to meet the time standard. Larrieu Smith was also using the race in Austin as a tune-up for the upcoming London Marathon.

She planned to take out the first mile in 5:10. Instead, she went through in 5:04 but she got into her tempo and ran the first 5,000 in a fast 15:52. Then she knew she was on American record pace. She ran the last 5,000 in an even faster 15:36.9 and crossed the finish line in 31:28.92, breaking Mary Slaney's AR of 31:35.3. After the race, Larrieu Smith said the record just "happened." It was a brilliant performance that set a standard for future American women distance runners.

Larrieu Smith competed on 28 U.S. national teams, including five Olympic teams. Her career spanned four decades and included 35 American records. Her accomplishments earned her a spot in the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1998.