Meet the Record Breaking Runner

With the 2020 Summer Olympic Games slated to run July 24 through Aug. 9 in Tokyo, Japan, at least one Vermont runner has a strong shot at a spot on Team USA.

In case you missed it, Montgomery-raised runner Elle Purrier just shattered the American women’s record for the indoor mile. On Feb. 8, she ran a 4:16:85 mile at the Millrose

Games in New York—the second fastest time ever logged for an indoor mile.

Just a week later, the 11-time All-American and University of New Hampshire graduate took fourth place in the 3000m at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., on Valentine’s Day, with a time of 8:56:56.

The United States Olympic Trials for track and field are determined entirely by performance on the track and The United States may send the top three athletes in a given discipline who meet the Olympic qualifying standard.

Purrier’s usual events are the 1500m and 5000m and she’s poised to qualify for a spot on the 2020 USA Olympic Team in both at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Track & Field June 19-28 in Eugene, Ore.

In the 5000m, Purrier is currently the top-ranked American woman, with a PR of 14:58.17, set Oct. 5, 2019 at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar—proof that the 25-year-old has a knack for performing under pressure.

With an indoor PR of 4:00.20 in the 1500m and an outdoor PR of 4:02.34, Purrier is likely to beat the Olympic qualifying time of 4:06.00. Though she’s the sixth-ranked American woman in this category, her best times put her close to the frontrunners.

Featured Photo: Elle Purrier, racing in Albuquerque, N.M. in February, 2020. Photo by Cortney White