NorCal Distance Adds MD Specialist Brie Felnagle 

In the midst of solidifying early stages of fall training for some and approaching peak races for a pair of athletes, the NorCal Distance Project welcomes middle distance standout Brie Felnagle as the most recent roster addition at the outset of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle. Felnagle, one of most accomplished runners to emerge from the Pacific Northwest, competed at Tacoma’s Bellarmine Prep as a many-time individual and team state champion in Washington before continuing her career at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

As a standout performer in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field during her five years in Chapel Hill, Brie’s performances place her among some of the best names in American and Tarheel running on the UNC all-time performance lists. En route to pacing teams consistently across all seasons at the conference, regional and national levels, Felnagle earned an individual NCAA outdoor 1500m title and comprised part of two indoor DMR championship teams while earning 12 All-America honors and also making her first US Olympic Trials appearance (2008) representing UNC.

After signing with adidas and embarking on her professional career from the familiar surroundings of  her home state, Brie has remained in Washington since 2010, focusing primarily on track racing but also continuing to demonstrate her versatility with standout cross country performances and occasional road races. With the ability to race effectively from 1500-5000m, Brie has proven herself as a perennial threat at the national level in both indoor and outdoor track, although her first qualification for a World Championship-level US Team came off the track in 2015, when she finished fourth at the US Cross Country Championships before representing Team USA in China.

As one of the early members of the Beasts Track Club in Seattle, Felnagle understands the value of the synergy that is attainable in a group training context.  Regarding her decision to transition south to California for her upcoming chapter, Brie commented, ‘I am excited to be moving down to Sacramento and joining NorCal Distance. I truly believe in the power of teammates and can’t wait to train alongside such a talented and awesome group of women.’ Regardless of how scheduling specifics unfold in the months ahead, Brie remains anxious to ‘be in the mix of some great races and set some PR’s this upcoming season.’

Now an athlete with both veteran-level experience and untapped potential left to explore, Brie’s dedication to chasing lofty goals with a sense of something to prove in the process makes her an excellent addition to the existing culture of the NorCal Distance Project as they seek to replicate and expand upon recent successes.