By David Rogers. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A record-setting performance by the High Country’s Andrew Colley highlighted the 26th running of the Cook Medical Beat the Heat Elite 5K on July 12 — and a win by his wife, Tristin (Van Ord) Colley, in the Women’s Division completed a storybook day for the Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance professional running team.
Andrew Colley is the first and only runner to ever finish the race under 14 minutes, crossing the finish line in 13:53.36 for the slightly more than 3.1 miles course. The previous Beat the Heat Elite 5K record was established in 2017 by Luis Vargas (14:08.40).
But Colley’s performance also establishes a new North Carolina state record for a road race 5k, previously set by Donnie Cowart on June 3, 2022, in the China Grove 5K.
While most of the 26 Men’s elite competitors were from North Carolina, the top 10 included athletes from Charlottesville, Va., Pittsburgh, Pa., and Atlanta, Ga., as well as Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Cary, Lexington, and Winston-Salem.
Colley finished more than a half-minute ahead of the No. 2 elite competitor, Graham Crawford (14:26.74), 32, of Charlottesville, Va.
The Beat the Heat Elite 5K course is fully contained within the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds with plenty of viewing options.
More than 700 recreational runners also competed in a separate race, the Beat the Heat 5K run a little earlier in the evening on a nearby different course, also including parts of the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. Both course are USATF Certified 5K venues.
In the Women’s Division of the Cook Medical Beat the Heat 5K, former Appalachian State track and cross country star Tristin (Van Ord) Colley, now also a ZAP Endurance team member, kept things in the family by running away with the distaff title. Her time of 16:16.78, was just five seconds shy of the Beat the Heat Elite 5K women’s record of 16:11, set by Blake Phillips Russell in 1999. The North Carolina state 5K road race record for a female is 15:50, set by Laura Mykytok in the Winston-Salem hosted AT&T Long Distance 5K open division, on Aug. 27, 1994.
The No. 2 runner behind Tristin Colley in the women’s race was Cleo Boyd, of Charlottesville, Va., 27 seconds behind. ZAP Endurance had a second team member in the women’s race, Annmarie Tuxbury, who crossed the line at No. 6, in 17:31.23.
Tristin Colley’s mile pace for the completed race was 5:14.
For the wins, each of the Colleys picked up first place prize money of $1,000, plus bonus cash for certain benchmarks, according to the Beat the Heat 5K website. Andrew earned a bonus of $100 for running under 15 minutes, as well as $200 for setting a new Beat the Heat race record.
Tristin also qualified for a time standard record, $100 for completing the race under 17 minutes.
The Colley wins in Winston-Salem completed a storybook day for the Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance team. Earlier that morning, teammate Amanda Vestri earned her first national championship crown by winning the USATF Women’s 6K National Championship in Canton, Ohio.
CLICK HERE for the Amanda Vestri story.
