Bugler & Rodenfels Victorious at Michelin Memorial 5K

Ryan Bugler

Annie Rodenfels

ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Ryan Bugler and Annie Rodenfels both ran to victories in the Edouard Michelin Memorial 5K Run on a muggy Saturday morning. Bugler ran 14:57 over the route consisting of rolling hills in the South Carolina Upstate countryside to best teammate Joe Niemiec (14:59) by two seconds. Their teammates Victor Pataky placed third, for the second consecutive year, with a time of 15:07, and Avery Martin was fifth in 15:25. Rodenfels, who also represented her employer Joy Real Estate in the GTC Corporate Cup competition, ran 17:11 to win the women's race and teammate Cristina McKnight was second at 17:27. McKnight was also an integral member of the winning, GE, corporate team. 

It was the seventh consecutive year that an ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE athlete won the overall title: Adam Freudenthal & Chas Armstrong (15:01) in 2013, Freudenthal (14:43) in 2014, Mark Leininger (14:54) in 2015, Austin Steagall (14:42 course record in 2016, then 15:03  in  '17 and 14:44 in '18). On the women's side it was the sixth win in the last seven years for the GTC-ELITE women: Kimberly Ruck (17:37) in 2013, Alison Parris (16:52) in 2014, (course record 16:40) 2015 and (18:18) in 2017, and Dylan Hassett (17:02) in 2016. 

ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE athletes now hold the top ten fastest times for both men and women for this annual event. 

Men's Fastest Performances at Edouard Michelin Memorial 5K
 1. Austin Steagall, 14:42 (2016) *event record
 2. Adam Freudenthal, 14:43 (2014)
 3. Austin Steagall, 14:44 (2018) *current course record
 4. Eddie Garcia, 14:48 (2018)
 5. Mark Leininger, 14:54 (2015)
 6. Ryan Bugler 14:57 (2019)
 7. Joe Niemiec 14:59 (2019)
 8. Adam Freudenthal 15:01 (2013)
 8. Chas Armstrong 15:01 (2013)
10. Austin Steagall 15:03 (2017)

Women's Fastest Performances at Edouard Michelin Memorial 5K
 1. Alison Parris, 16:40 (2015) *event record
 2. Alison Parris, 16:52 (2014)
 3. Dylan Hassett, 17:02 (2016)
 4. Annie Rodenfels, 17:11 (2019) *current course record
 5. Kimberly Ruck, 17:16 (2014)
 6. Cristina McKnight, 17:27 (2019)
 7. Kate Dodds, 17:33 (2016)
 8. Kimberly Ruck, 17:38 (2013)
 9. Carolyn Watson, 18:03 (2016)
10. Alison Parris, 18:18 (2017)

GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. The program produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles and one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru. The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 47-year-old Greenville Track Club, ScanSource, Joy Real Estate,   generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Boston Bill Sunglasses, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, DorsiFlex and Synergy Performance (mental performance).  The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and  USATF.