Susan Rollins is one of the area’s most highly ranked women’s master’s runners who has several notable achievements including national running performances.

Susan’s most recent accomplishments occurred at the July 2025 National Senior Games at Des Moines, Iowa where she turned in performances even more amazing since these were after having had a knee replacement as follows:

• She placed first in her age group winning the Gold in the 1 Mile Run in a time of 5:56.62 and placed 2nd overall out of 114 women.

• She placed first in her age group winning the Gold in the 5K Run in a time of 20:39 and placed 5th overall out of 139 women.

• She placed first in her age group winning the Gold in the 10K Run in a time of 43:36.43 and placed 3rd overall out of 103 women.

• She placed 2nd in her age group winning the silver in the Women’s Swimming 200 breast stroke.

• She placed 3rd in her age group winning the bronze in the Women’s Swimming 100 breast stroke.

• Runner World published an article on August 25, 2025 titled: “These National Senior Games Athletes Prove It’s Never Too Late to Run Fast and Chase Your Goals” among which was a section featuring four of the National Senior Games participants and Susan Rollins was one of four featured participants.

• Susan’s beginnings when she started running her freshman year at Davidson College and thereafter a Davidson College women’s cross-country team was formed.  In 1979 she qualified to run for Davidson at the Division 3 Nationals.  (Note that Joan Benoit was in that race.)

• She went to medical school in St. Louis and while there ran the St. Louis Marathon in an unofficial time of 3 hours 11.

• Her medical residency training was in Salt Lake City where in 1988 she won the Wasatch Steeplechase and the Crazy Bob Bair Gutsman race in 2:16:35 (which the oldest mountain race in Utah founded in 1974 and is somewhat along the style of the Tennessee Barkley races.)

• She and her husband moved to Johnson City around 1990 and ran in a variety of local road races as well as having children a busy medical practice would allow in her early years living in Johnson City.

• Her running community service includes starting and coaching a XC team for the middle schoolers at Ashley Academy.  She is now currently coaching the middle school and elementary XC teams and coaching track teams in the spring. She was also a very active member and organizer of the Tri-Cities Triathlon during its early years.

• She has held TN Olympic Games State meet records in three age groups in the 400m, 800m, 1500m and 5K.

• Susan has held 19 separate TN State Running Records across distances ranging from the Mile to the Half Marathon. (Note: her Mile TN State Running Records were set at the SFTC Duck Island Mile Races.) 

• USA Masters Track and Field in 2014 had her in the Top 10 in the world ranking for 5 Track & Field events

• National Senior Games (current Top 10 all-time performances) she holds 

• • 400m 2015 1:09.17 (55-59) current standing # 8

  • 800m 2015 2:45.40 (55-59) current standing #2

  • National Record in 2015 800m 2019 2:52.62 (60-64) current standing #4

  •  1500m 2015 5:23.68 (55-59) current standing #1 National Record

  • 1500m 2019 5:47.51 (60-64) current standing #5