




Stephanie Bruce
11.9K posts

@Steph_Rothstein
Professional Runner for @Tracksmith. Mama. @procompression athlete. Rocky aficionado. Here for running, women’s sports, empathy, humor, and motivation. BAVD❤️







Our agency had the second and third-place finishers at the USATF Half Marathon Championships yesterday, Carrie Ellwood and Annie Rodenfels, respectively. I am gutted for the athletes impacted by the on-course mishap and for the Atlanta Track Club team. I also understand the precarious position this places USATF, given their published selection criteria for the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen this September. The USATF selection procedures state that the top three finishers at the National Championships will earn automatic selection to the World Championships, with one additional at-large spot going to the top-ranked athlete in the World Athletics global rankings (full criteria below). Should any athlete on the podium decline, USATF will then fill those spots by order of finish, up to the fifth position. Earlier today, I had conversations with both Carrie and Annie. Both athletes prefer that the rightful team of Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat be named to the team representing the Stars & Stripes, as it was a foregone conclusion that they had the team spots locked up, given their lead and proximity to the finish. I’ve had conversations with USATF today as well and understand by selecting those three they would be going against their selection criteria, as Jess (ninth), Emma (twelfth), and Ednah (thirteenth) finished outside the top-five designation. There is the spirit of the law and the letter of the law. The spirit of the selection criteria is to send the strongest possible team to the global championships, that spirit should win out here. Doing the right thing matters, and as a former athlete who has been on both sides of lead vehicle snafus—as the beneficiary (New Haven, 2000), and as the punished (Air Force Marathon 13.1, 2011)—I understand what the athletes are going through now. This is an opportunity for USATF to name Jess, Emma, and Ednah to Team USA. Should any of them decline, Carrie and Annie would happily step in, be ready roll, and do our country proud. 🇺🇸 I want to thank USATF for making this such a priority at this time. They're working hard on a solution, and I'm sure we’ll have one in short order. (Photo: Annie and Carrie in a gratuitous post-race doping control shot #CleanSport)










USA ladies Susanna and Jess running in 1-2 at the World Champs marathon. Still 12 miles to go but these women are running THEIR race and I’m here for it!




Gold medal and championships record for Taylor Roe in the 10,000m at #NACAC2025. By running a good time and winning an area championships, she should have earned enough points to be qualified #WATokyo25. BTW, @Steph_Rothstein had the prior record of 33:12.42 (2022).