By David Rogers. Manchester, Conn. — More than 12,000 runners braved the cold and rain on Nov. 28, in the 88th year of the Manchester Road Race — and Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance team member Andrew Colley bested a strong field that included 2024 Olympians
It is hard to call the Manchester Road Race a “turkey trot” even if run every year on Thanksgiving Day. The 4.7 mile course historically attracts a strong field of professionals to toe the line near the front at the start, this year including Colley, as well as other top athletes like 28-yearold Edwin Kurgat, who finished No. 7 at the Paris Olympics at the 5,000 meters’ distance. Kurgat finished No. 3 in Manchester, nipped at the tape by another professional, Eduardo Herrera, the 2024 Mexico national champion at 1500 meters (3:43.73).
Colley, 33, trailed Kurgat by a step with almost two minutes to go in the race but showed off some of his mountain training by going past the now U.S. athlete born in Kenya on a down, then uphill finishing segment. Once past, he continued to gain separation.
Colley’s winning time was 21:09, a 4:28 mile pace. Herrera finished six seconds later, in 21:15 (4:30 pace), just ahead of Kurgat’s 21:19 (also a 4:30 pace).
