By David Rogers. SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. — Just a week removed from winning the Oskar Blues 4-Miler in Brevard, N.C. — and setting a new women’s course record for that event — ZAP Endurance team member Amanda Vestri shaved 14 seconds off her previous best at 10,000 Meters and, in the process, won Sound Running’s “The Ten” event while qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials at that distance. Her official time was 31:54.22. The U.S. Olympic Trials for all track and field events except the marathon distance will be in Eugene, Ore., in June.
In winning The Ten race, Vestri beat an international field of 16 elite women runners.
Lowering a personal best gets harder and harder as you go faster and faster.
It was the first time Vestri has broken the 32 minute barrier and the young athlete’s progression at 10,000 meters has been impressive since running a 35:11.45 in 2018, in Waco, Texas. The Syracuse University alum had lowered her time to a personal best of 32:08.26 on March 31, 2023, in Palo Alto, Calif.
The ZAP Endurance elite professional running team is based in Blowing Rock and head coach Pete Rea noted after Vestri’s run, “We are extremely proud of Amanda and the work she has put in to reach this level of performance. Lowering your personal bests gets harder and harder to accomplish the faster you go, so her breaking through that 32-minute barrier is significant. Her early pacing was brilliant.”
Rea indicated that there is still more work to do, since the qualifying time to actually run in the Paris Olympics this summer is 30:40.00. Vestri will be eyeing that standard as she trains to make the U.S. team in Eugene.
