Rodenfels Runs Personal Best 4:13.49 for 1500m in Atlanta Track Club Meet

Annie Rodenfels (4th from right) en route to a new personal best of 4:13.49 1500 meters.

ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Annie Rodenfels ran a huge personal best to place fourth in the 1500 meters at the first of the Atlanta Track Club's Spring Series meets. On a clear, crisp Saturday evening in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta she dropped over 14 seconds from her previous best 1500 best. 

The Atlanta Track Club intended to provide an opportunity to gain qualifying times for the upcoming Olympic Trials in June. However, the ASICS GTC-ELITE coaches saw it as opportunity for Annie to demonstrate her speed over a shorter distance as she prepares to qualify in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase. She had not run a 1500m since joining the Greenville post-collegiate, Olympic-development program in August of 2019. 

The plan was to run the first 400 in 68 seconds and then progress accordingly. Working that plan, Annie covered the first lap in 68.74 and passed 800 meters at 2:16.32, which was a 67.57 lap. She then ran 67.83 and passed 1200 meters at 3:24.14 before closing the final 300 in 49.35. She moved from sixth to fourth over the final 200 meters, besting such standouts as 2016 Olympian Abby Cooper and Heather Kamph of Minnesota Distance Elite. Kamph has competed in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials, is a 4-time USA Mile Road Champion, and has been deemed the “Queen of the road Mile,” given she has won 28 races of that distance between 2011-2019.
​
British Athletics Adelle Tracey won the event in 4:11.29. Former NC State runner Sammy George, now running for Mountain South Elite,  placed second in 4:12.47 and Rhode Island Track Club's Maddy Berkson was third in 4:12.73. Former Florida State University standout Amanda (Winslow) Rego, now running for Colorado Springs Elite was fifth at 4:16.08. 

Annie and Coach Laura Caldwell review the race.

GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. The program produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru and three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA.  The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 48-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, 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, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running (treadmill body weight support).  The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and  USATF.​