By David Rogers. ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Even in elite distance running where the competing athletes are highly trained, different race patterns evolve. In the NN Rotterdam Marathon on April 16, two Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance team members used different approaches to recording new (legal) personal bests for the 26.2 miles distance.
Andrew Colley
Andrew Colley placed No. 16 out of 16,837 athletes of all ages and genders competing in the Rotterdam Marathon. In the Men’s Division, there were 12,980 runners.
“We were targeting closer to a 2:09 for Andrew,” ZAP Endurance head coach Pete Rea said after Colley crossed the finish line, “so in one sense the 2:11.26 is a disappointment. In reality, though, it is not because Andrew lowered his personal best from 2:12:15, which he previously established in Duluth, Minn., in 2019. In those intervening four years, Andrew has endured a lot, including injuries, so he is really just now hitting his stride. He had a rough last 8k today that probably cost him a minute and a half, but overall it was an outstanding performance. He’ll run again in the fall and I will not be surprised if gets closer to 2:08.”
In addition to lowering his personal best, Colley’s 2:11.26 makes him the sixth ZAP Endurance team member to become eligible to run in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the marathon distance on Feb. 3, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. His Rotterdam time is well below the 2:18 qualifying standard set by USA Track and Field.
Examining the performance graphics provided by NN Rotterdam Marathon officials, in achieving his new personal best Colley ran a pretty steady pace for the first half of the race, approaching 20 kilometers per hour (approx. 12.43 miles per hour). At about the 13 mile mark, Colley slowed his pace slightly, to roughly 19.3 kilometers per hour (11.8 mph) until he reached just before the 22-mile marker. At that point, his pace dropped off to just over 11 mph at the finish.
For the entire race, Colley’s average speed was 19.26 km/hr (11.96 mph) and his average pace was 3:07 minutes per kilometer, which converts to a 5-minute per mile pace.
Annmarie Tuxbury
Annmarie Tuxbury finished No. 205 overall, but at No. 17 vs. the 3,854 women running in the Rotterdam Marathon on April 16.
“Annmarie had a rough outing, too, but still lowered what is considered her legal marathon time, to 2:35.53. What is considered legal is where the elevation change from start to finish does not drop excessively,” explained Pete Rea, ZAP Endurance head coach. “She ran a 2:31:31 this past December, in Sacramento, which qualified her for the U.S. team trials next February, but ‘legal’ means that any fast times would not be considered for a world record. For example, because of the elevation changes in the Boston Marathon, that historic race’s results do not receive world record consideration.
“Annmarie is still relatively new to the ZAP Endurance team,” Rea added, “so we are still getting to know her as an athlete. From a coaching standpoint, today’s race was a good one that contributed a lot of datapoints for us to analyze and determine how we need to alter her training, if any at all.”
In reviewing the performance graphics provided by Rotterdam Marathon officials, Tuxbury ran a pretty even pace until she approached the 13-mile mark. At the point her pace dropped off quickly, losing almost a full mile per hour, and maintained that new, slightly slower pace until approximately the 22-mile mark. At that point she gradually increased her speed until she closed the last mile and a half at or near her fastest time of the day.
Over the full race, her average speed was 10.09 mph, running at 5:58 minutes per mile.
Including Colley and Tuxbury, ZAP Endurance now has six team members qualified to compete for a spot on the U.S. national team going to next year’s Paris Olympics. Tyler Pennel (2:12:16), Whitney Macon (2:32:48), Tristin Van Ord (2:27:07), and Josh Izewski (2:12.45) have previously met the U.S. team trials standard (2:18 for men, 2:37 for women). Non-resident ZAP Endurance team members Joanna Thompson and Joe Stilin are also looking to qualify for the U.S. team trials in races this summer and fall.
