I bet that both of the Colley’s would be welcomed at Hansons. They have married housing and Brooks contracts. Both Andrew and Tristin deserve contracts.
Both of the Colley's what?
Hamstring's, calve's, glute's, quad's,......you know, the whole package.
I had the pleasure of running with Andrew Colley once. He was a great guy and showed a lot of humility and grit pacing two heats of raleigh relays. I can't remember if it was the 5k or 10k, but he raced the second fastest heat (and won iirc), and then turned around to immediately pace the top heat. I hope a sponsor picks him up and he runs well going forward.
I had the pleasure of running with Andrew Colley once. He was a great guy and showed a lot of humility and grit pacing two heats of raleigh relays. I can't remember if it was the 5k or 10k, but he raced the second fastest heat (and won iirc), and then turned around to immediately pace the top heat. I hope a sponsor picks him up and he runs well going forward.
raced colley before. hes had a long career. has he ever had a legit contract?
You have to applaud ZAP for what they built. So many groups with far more resources have folded in less time, but Pete, Zika, Ryan, and the entire ZAP community created something rare in the pro running world: openness. They welcomed not only their own athletes but anyone chasing the dream. They were so quick to offer free meals, training partners, use of their facility, and even a place to crash for post collegiate athletes chasing the dream. In a sport where most groups keep outsiders at arm’s length, ZAP was always different. That generosity and belief in people taking a big swing will never be forgotten by those in our sport.
Thank you, Pete, Zika, Ryan, and the whole ZAP family, for sharing the gift of running with so many of us!
- I'm not going to name names, but I know that at least 3 athletes have already been offered at least one contract with another group. Amanda Vestri is already with Brooks but I don't know if she'll stay here or relocate. Ryan Ford moved to Boulder this summer in a move unrelated to ZAP's demise. The rumor is that he's training with Tinmom but I don't know if
Well maybe you should name names because I can’t think of 3 people on that team that are, by definition, professional runners. Maybe Colley and Izewski? We already know Vestri is but she’s with Brooks and Ford is gone.
I grew up in Boone, NC and ran at Watauga High School before an unremarkable college career. I got back into following pro running the past couple of years and have enjoyed following Amanda Vestri’s breakout career. My wife and I were at the Olympic Trials in Eugene and saw Vestri nearly make the Olympic team running under the ZAP name.
Side note - met Jon Gault in the merch line at the 2024 Trials
Also recently saw Andrew Colley set the NC road 5K record at a local 5K that my wife raced in. Needless to say I’m sad to hear that ZAP will be no more. Always was cool to see interviews/hear ZAP mentioned on the podcast because I trained in the same places as Colley/Vestri.
I’m also reminded of how ZAP athletes used to crush The Bear Race (Grandfather Mountain), which is no longer being run after there was a tragedy. Sad to see ZAP and The Bear are no more as they were staples of the High Country running scene.
That's not true. There are better places East of the MS, especially in VA.
Not many. I wouldn't call anywhere in Virginia a better place to run than Moses Cone. Pocahontas state park comes close I suppose, but its fairly flat. Creeper Trail is nice I guess.
It is a shame to lose opportunities for very good but not great runners coming out of college. One of the reasons that the Japanese are able to perform well in marathons is that they have a ton of depth due to the support systems of the corporate teams. It is good to keep a greater % in the sport for longer because you never know who is going to show great improvement later.