Boston 10k for Women presented by REI – News

Annie Rodenfels Wins the 2023 Boston 10K for Women, presented by REI
The Bostonian wins her 10K debut in 32:08 as new faces fill the 10K podium

BOSTON – It was a hometown victory at the 47th Boston 10K for Women, presented by REI, as 27-year-old Annie Rodenfels broke the tape in her 10K debut in a time of 32:08. Rodenfels was followed by Emily Venters in a time of 32:31 and Jenny Simpson in 32:39. Under cloudy skies and a temperature of 66 degrees, the top three finishers represented a new cast of superstars in the 10K distance. For Rodenfels and Venters, it was their first 10K, and for longtime track superstar Jenny Simpson, her second. 

A Boston resident, Rodenfels surged on the Massachusetts Avenue bridge and ran uncontested through the last mile until the Charles St. finish line. For the seasoned miler and steeplechaser, it was a surge she was counting on. “I thought I would sit back and wait and out-kick them at the end, like – their mistake if they leave me until the end – because besides maybe Jenny Simpson I think I’ve probably got the best kick in the field,” said Rodenfels, an American flag draped around her shoulders. “But I just felt too good, I figured I’d just go for it. What do I have to lose?” 

Rodenfels matched the early pace set by Venters, who led a pack of 16 through a 5:10 first and 5:14 second mile. In her professional debut, Venters relied on a feel for competition that guided her through a decorated NCAA career at Utah. “I just went from the gun and trusted my instincts. A lot of times I try to go with a race plan but then I don’t end up following it – I just go with how I feel, and that’s kind of what I did hoping that people would go with me.”

As Venters pushed the pace through mile three, the pack began to thin. After the second turnaround on Memorial Drive, and through four miles, Rodenfels took the lead. After turning right on the Massachusetts Avenue bridge, she widened it to four seconds. “When Annie passed me, I just wanted to try and hold on for second as long as I can,” saidAs throngs of runners cheered the lead pack returning into Boston, Rodenfels expanded her lead, and it grew it to eight seconds as she turned left onto Commonwealth Ave. “I have a rule that I don’t look back behind me in races, so honestly every single spectator I passed, especially when I saw someone I knew, I was hoping they would tell me what my gap was, but no one did, and so people were confused because I kept…