May 18, 2025
From Sub-14 5K to Signing Pros: Matthew Sonnenfeldt’s Journey from D1 Running to Elite Track Agent & Exclusive Insights From The Pro-Track World
THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCASTAbout this episode
From cross country and track star to talent management guru -- Matthew Sonnenfeldt has seen it all. Matthew’s journey from high school champion to collegiate athlete and now a mentor and representative for other athletes illustrates a career built on passion, resilience, and a commitment to excellence in track and field. At Knoxville West High School, Matthew captured the Tennessee state cross country championship in 2008, including a 14:50 5000m at the Foot Locker South Regional, earning him a spot at the Foot Locker Nationals. Matthew began his collegiate running at the University of Kentucky, where he earned All-SEC Freshman Team honors in cross country in 2009. He then transferred to North Carolina State University, where he earned All-ACC honors in 2012 and All-NCAA Southeast Region honors in both 2011 and 2012. He has PRs of 3:52.74 in the 1500m, 13:59.10 in the 5000m, 29:51.52 in the 10,000m, and 1:07:57 in the half marathon. After his competitive running career, Sonnenfeldt became a track agent with Flynn Sports Management, where he supports and represents elite track and field athletes. In today's conversation, Matt takes me through his background in the sport, how that shaped his outlook on the sport, running in the NCAA, becoming an agent, the importance of networking, trends in the sport, and his future goals in the sport. Tap into the Matthew Sonnenfeldt Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend! S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs -BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run -Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ -My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en -Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz