Annabel Stafford, V28, Qualifies for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in her Marathon Debut

I saw all the wonderful things animals do for us, and I wanted to be a voice for them. Problem-solving and science, paired with compassion, empathy, and connection with animals and their families, was the perfect combination of the things I love, what I find to be fulfilling, and what I want to do with my life.

Annabel Stafford, V28

Before the sun rises each day, running through the hillsides of Grafton is Annabel Stafford, V28, training for her next marathon and potentially the Olympics. A third-year student at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Stafford qualified for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in her very first marathon earlier this year.

Running and veterinary medicine have been constant passions in Stafford’s life. She has planned on a career as a veterinarian since childhood. While in high school, her first experience working in the field at a therapeutic riding school reinforced her decision.

“I saw all the wonderful things animals do for us, and I wanted to be a voice for them,” she says. “Problem-solving and science, paired with compassion, empathy, and connection with animals and their families, was the perfect combination of the things I love, what I find to be fulfilling, and what I want to do with my life.”

Distance running entered the mix in middle school, when Stafford signed up for track in her brother's footsteps. From a military family, she moved often. Throughout high school in Hawaii and Japan, she ran for her schools’ track teams.

“I loved the community. Especially bouncing around from school to school every couple of years, you always had a built-in friend group,” she recalls.

Stafford attended Colorado State University, which has a Division I track team. 

“I wasn't quite speedy enough to join their team. I went there for their animal science program. I kept running on my own around campus, and towards the end of the first semester I missed being a part of something bigger than myself,” she says.

Her father convinced her to knock on the track coach's door and introduce herself. He reached out a few months later when a spot opened up on the team. The COVID pandemic hit soon after, so Stafford trained on her own, working up to the mileage and times needed to be a part of the team. 

“Even though it was not a conventional way of joining the team, I was lucky in that I was given an opportunity without the pressure to perform,” says Stafford. “Anytime I got a little faster or placed a little higher in a race, I was surprising myself, which was encouraging and exciting. It allowed me an environment to grow as a person and a runner, and being surrounded by amazing women as well.”

As a walk-on, Stafford excelled on CSU’s Cross Country team, setting the school record for the 10K and twice competing in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships (Nationals). She qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor 10K National Championship her senior year, but suffered a stress fracture in her sacrum, so could not race. 

After earning her degree in animal sciences, Stafford worked for a year at an animal hospital near CSU, then began her veterinary degree at Cummings School.

“I've been very lucky to learn in such a welcoming, kind environment. All the professors have been amazing,” she says.

During the summers and part-time during the school year, Stafford is a student technician in the Harrington Oncology Service at Henry and Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Cummings School. 

“The Oncology team feels like family to me,” she says. “I was surprised how much I loved what they do. All of the care is focused on quality of life.” 

At 4:00 a.m., Stafford’s day begins with her training run, followed by a walk with her Dachshund, before her first class at 8:00 a.m. 

“Running sets my day,” she says. “I love it so much because I prove to myself every day that I can do hard things. My training before school gives me confidence to conquer a hard day of vet school, and it also goes the opposite way. The two really empower each other.”

Stafford took first place two years in a row in Cummings School's Scaredy Cat K95K. “People find a lot of community in that event, and I learned a lot about my other classmates that are big runners too.”

Stafford ran her first marathon, the McKirdy Micro Marathon in upstate New York, last March. 

“I was cautious about moving up in distance after getting hurt,” she says. “I feel like I was waiting for the perfect moment to move up to the marathon, and it can be tough with the stress of school. I never want to push my body too far, but at the same time, there's probably never going to be the perfect moment to give it a shot, so I decided to try it.” 

Her former CSU coach thought she had a chance to qualify for the Olympic Trials based on her half-marathon times and helped her prepare. She began training last November, but within weeks suffered a hip flexor injury and could not run again until the end of January. She worked with a physical therapist to safely return to racing shape.

“I was just so happy to get to the starting line after the injury,” she says. “It's a long race; it feels like a journey. I got to about 20 miles, and I was still on pace to get the qualifying time, and I was like, ‘10K? This is my jam!’ Knowing I had a very short build-up to the marathon and it was my first one, I was going to be happy to finish. Going into it with that mentality of no pressure, doing what I love to do, that is always how I end up running my best and just enjoying it.”

Stafford placed third among the female runners, under the Olympic Trials qualifying time of two hours and 37 minutes. Next up, she will race in two marathons this fall in Detroit and California as she continues training for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in St. Louis, Missouri, in March 2028. 

“I'm just going to keep racing and keep having fun.” 

Stafford shares more about her running journey and training for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in a recent podcast.