From afar, River Falls native Annie Frisbie seemingly went from high school runner, to collegiate All-American, to top 10 finisher in the Boston Marathon overnight, but there were years of hard work, great stories and amazing experiences in between.

“When I was younger, I played soccer,” Frisbie said. “I found that I was really skilled at getting to the ball first and I was fast, but once I got to the ball, my foot skills and my other soccer skills weren’t as strong as the other girls… I kind of found that my speed is my strength.”

Frisbie joined cross country in middle school, falling in love with running on a team full of best friends. She found it rewarding to get better as she continued to work harder. In high school, Frisbie set the school record with a 4:59 mile time that held up for 10 years before Olive Halvorson broke it in 2025.

After high school, Frisbie was recruited to Iowa State, where she would compete in track and cross country for four years before graduating in 2019. She was named an All-American in cross country in 2018, but never felt like she hit her peak.

“I was good in college, but I never quite reached my full potential,” Frisbie said. “I never quite put together the pieces or reached what I thought I was capable of.”

Alongside working an office job, Frisbie joined Minnesota Distance Elite, a running team, to unlock that full potential after college. Safe to say the beast was unleashed, finishing seventh in the 2021 New York City Marathon, 20th in the 2023 Boston Marathon, 17th in the 2023 Berlin Marathon, 10th in the 2024 Olympic Trials Marathon, 14th in the Chicago Marathon in 2024, eighth in the 2025 Boston Marathon, fifth in the 2025 New York City Marathon and eighth in the 2026 Boston Marathon. Frisbie is also the back-to-back champion of the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in Duluth. Running became the full-time gig for Frisbie, and she is living out her dream every day.

“By no means did I ever think it would lead me to where I am today where my running is my job,” Frisbie said. “I never envisioned it happening like this, but it’s my dream job, and it’s been such a fun ride.”

Frisbie has loved traveling to cool places for both the marathons and shorter distance races. Along with soaking in the city, she has kept in mind that she is there for work, prioritizing focus and rest.

“Racing for me is definitely the most fun part,” Frisbie said. “I’ve only done one international race, but I definitely plan to do more in the future. It’s so cool to be able to go to these amazing places.”

Frisbie wishes she could be in the wondrous cities for longer periods of time before or after the races to truly take it all in; however, racing is the top priority right now.

The most recent eighth place finish in the Boston Marathon back in April was a personal best time for Frisbie, recording a 2:22:00 time. She said Boston is a tough place to compete because the first half of the race is largely downhill and the second half uphill, making for a difficult transition for the muscles. Recovery can be much more difficult after Boston compared to other races.

“It’s definitely the running event in the U.S. Everyone knows what Boston is,” Frisbie said. “We’re not really celebrities on the day-to-day. No one would recognize me at a grocery store normally, but in Boston you do kind of get a taste of what that celebrity would feel like. It’s a super interesting bubble.”

Another great part of the Boston Marathon for Frisbie are the amazing stories of some of the non-professional runners who take on the race. There was great weather this year considering it takes place in Boston during April, making for one of Frisbie’s favorite races ever.

While she did not meet her ultimate goal of a podium finish, the personal best time and top 10 finish made for a day she will not forget any time soon.

“I just love the process of training and getting better,” Frisbie said. “I’m a part of a team out here in Minneapolis called Minnesota Distance Elite, and I have some of my closest friends on the team. It’s just such a good training environment. We all want each other to succeed and our coach is amazing.”

Running is the highlight of Frisbie’s day almost every day. When a race goes well, she is driven to do better, and when a race does not go as planned, she is even more determined.

Along the way, messages from the River Falls community have been special for Frisbie.

“It’s so special to have so many little pockets of community. I’ll get messages from River Falls where maybe I haven’t heard from someone in years,” Frisbie said. “Those messages mean so much to me, because I think sometimes, in my mind, I’m like no one is paying attention or following my running. After a race, you just realize how many people are in your corner.”

When Frisbie first started racing, there was a bit of a culture shock that came with competing against the same women she had looked up to for years. Then she stepped on the course herself, realizing she can be just as good if not better.

“My personal trajectory has definitely not been smooth. I was never an NCAA champion. I was always good, but never necessarily great,” Frisbie said. “For me, it was just that inner belief that one day I can do something special.”

It may not always be easy, but for Frisbie, crossing the finish line to a proud family, fiancé, coach and teammates is all the reward she needs.