THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST Inside The Mind Of HS National Record Holder Sadie Engelhardt: Insights From Her 4:28 Mile, Making The US Olympic Trials As Just A Junior In HS, Her Plans To Break The 1500m Record, & More
Sadie Engelhardt returns to the podcast today.
Back on the podcast is the 18-year-old American track and field mega-star from Ventura, California. Sadie is a senior at Ventura High School, where she has had a storied career and is considered one of the best high school runners ever.
The NC State commit (and only the third girls competitor from California to be named Gatorade Best Player of the Year) has excelled in both cross country and track and field. Most recently, she came in 11th at the Girls XC Nationals on December 7. She has also maintained a 4.59 GPA in the classroom.
Sadie has even found time to volunteer locally on behalf of Runners For Public Lands, helping to clean trails and other places to run around Ventura County. With all that said, it's the oval where she truly separates herself from the rest.
Her PRs include times of 2:03.46 in the 800m, 4:08.86 in the 1500m, 4:28.46 in the mile, and 9:50.69 in the 3200m. The aforementioned mile time was a national high school record in the outdoor mile. Sadie has had three consecutive 1,600m state titles, and she helped her school win a state championship in the 4x800 relay.
In 2024, Sadie ran in her first professional outdoor meet at The TEN, where she stunned the world by running a 4:09.7 in the 1500m. She then zeroed in on three professional meets to try and make the Olympic qualifying standard, and at the Portland Track Festival on June 9 she pulled off a 4:08.86 in the 1500m, earning her spot at the qualifier–becoming the third high school athlete to ever qualify for the 1500m in the Olympics.
While Sadie only competed in the preliminary round, it was a valuable experience for this rising phenom to keep in her arsenal.
In today's conversation, Sadie shares reflections from her XC season, her hopes and dreams for the 2025 track season, insights from her training, how she plans to go out with a bang in HS, and so much more.
Sadie is truly doing unprecedented things in the sport, and it's always a privilege to sit down with her and have a meaningful conversation with her.
Tap into the Sadie Engelhardt special.
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