Halfway through the women’s New York Marathon run on November 7, a lot of people were probably wondering: who is this girl in the lead?

It was none other than Annie Frisbie, a 2015 River Falls High School graduate.

Frisbie, in her marathon debut, led the race near the 12 mile mark, ahead of a field that included Olympic gold medalist Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel of the United States, among others. .

Jepchirchir ended up winning with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, 39 seconds, and Seidel set an American course record placing fourth in 2:24:42, while Frisbie, 24, was the third American. to finish. and seventh overall, at 2:26:18 – the fastest marathon time on record for an American under 25.

Not bad for someone most people had never heard of.

While Frisbie was not widely known nationally or internationally before her marathon debut, the people of River Falls remember her as one of the best long distance runners to ever come out of River Falls High School.

In 2014, she became the only girl from River Falls to win a WIAA state cross country title and holds nearly all school distance records, including the 1,600 and 3,200-meter races in track and field. as well as the 5,000-meter cross-country mark.

As a senior in 2014, she finished fourth at Nike Heartland XC Midwest Regional and was Wisconsin’s best at Foot Locker Midwest Regional while placing seventh.

She attended Iowa State University, where she was a three-time All-Big 12 cross-country runner while also winning All-American honors as a senior in 2018.

She turned pro in September 2019, joining Minnesota Distance Elite, and in July finished third at the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta.

In September, she placed fifth at the US 10-Mile Championships in Washington, DC, before stealing the show in her marathon debut on the streets of New York. She said that although she had a bad race, it was an experience she will never forget.

“I think being in New York, with the crowd and the experience itself, they really treat you so special and you feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself”, she declared. “It’s just a crazy environment to be a part of. And then on top of that, running so well – it’s kind of the icing on the cake. You are just overwhelmed with joy once you cross the finish line.

Frisbie’s performance at the New York Marathon sparked a plethora of offers from sponsors and agents, but for now, she said she was happy to be working as a graphic designer from her home in Minneapolis throughout. by weighing up your options.