A CHANGE OF PLAN BROUGHT VESTRI TO NEW YORK CITY MARATHON DEBUT
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - Used with permission.

NEW YORK (30-Oct) -- Last March in Atlanta, Amanda Vestri finished third at the USATF Half-Marathon Championships and earned a berth on Team USATF for the World Road Running Championships which were scheduled for September in San Diego.  The Brooks-sponsored athlete clocked 1:08:17 on a hilly course, and was thrilled to make her first national team after struggling late in the race.

"By the grace of God," Vestri said, when asked how she maintained her composure in the final stages of the competition.  "That was the only thing I was holding on to towards the end.  I was like, God, just get me through this.  Miles eight to twelve I was suffering pretty bad."

But only three days later, World Athletics said that those championships would be moved from San Diego to another venue, and a few weeks later cancelled them altogether.  Vestri's fall plans had to be changed, and she felt the pull of the marathon, a distance her coaches in both high school and college said she was destined for.

"When the World Half-Marathon Championships were not going to happen in September in San Diego, which I qualified for, I was like, you know what?  We've got other options," Vestri told Race Results Weekly in an interview at a midtown hotel.  She continued: "I watched the Boston Marathon this past year and I think watching so many people, so many athletes I know, race that marathon, I just got really inspired by it.  I just wanted to be a part of that."

The performances of two of those athletes, Jessica McClain and Annie Frisbie, really lit a fire under Vestri.  They finished seventh and eighth, respectively, and were the first and second Americans in the race.

"Jess McClain, like she's a Brooks athlete, and just seeing her out there being top American was great," Vestri continued.  "Annie Frisbie, who was my old roommate at Iowa State, seeing her get second American was just inspiring.  That's when I knew I really wanted to run a marathon."

Working with her coach Pete Rea and agent Josh Cox, Vestri decided that New York made the most sense for her debut, despite the hilly course, all-women's format, lack of pacemakers, and a stacked international field.  Vestri grew up in Webster, N.Y., about a 20 minute drive from Rochester, and competing in New York just felt right to her.  She already had a relationship with the race organizer, New York Road Runners, and had raced successfully in three of their events.

"Me and Pete, my coach, went back and forth between Chicago and New York," Vestri explained.  "To be honest, it wasn't too long of a decision before we came to the conclusion of New York."  She continued: "Number one, I grew up in New York so it has somewhat of a home feel to it.  I've run many, many New York Road Runners events, and they've always treated you (like) the best athletes in the world.  I've just liked the experiences that I've had here where I started my pro running career.  I've run well at the New York Mini (10-K), I saw the marathon running here at Abbott (Dash 5-K) two years ago, and it was just really cool to see."

But there was a bigger reason for Vestri to choose New York: the championship-style format which emphasizes head-to-head racing over achieving fast times.

"I didn't want to time-trial my first marathon," Vestri said.  "I wanted to run it on my own terms and race it.  I think it's really cool to have a super-fast marathon PR, but I don't think that's what New York is all about.  I think New York is about the place, the experience, being patient in the race, and getting to do something that's incredibly rare, running through all the boroughs.  It's the opportunity of a lifetime.  That's why I chose New York and I'm excited about it."

Vestri ran several summer road races, and even won her first national title at the USATF 6-K Championships in Canton, Ohio, on July 12.  After that, she competed in the 10,000m at the USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., on July 31 where she finished eighth.  She took a little time to recover, then got right into her marathon build in August.

"We had decided that I would just take ten days of, like, easy running, (and) a few days off," Vestri said.  "Then we got right into it.  I did my first long run of the build in August, and we've just been non-stop since then.  Pete's approach to marathon training is just building very, very slowly.  I think that has helped me feel like I'm still climbing now."

Vestri said that her weekly mileage peaked at about 115, and her 23-mile long run was the longest run of her life.  She also did a 16-mile race-pace run as part of a 22 mile day.  On October 5, she raced the Twin Cities 10 Mile in Minneapolis on thoroughly tired legs and ran a very solid 53:14.  That's equivalent to a 2:29:12 marathon using the time-tested Riegel Formula, but with absolutely no taper.

"I did the 10-mile at Twin Cities and that was a very good... check-in point," Vestri said.  "We were nowhere near the fitness that we worked to be at four weeks later, which is now.  I think we timed it pretty well.  Running on tired legs was a different stimulus that I haven't really conceptualized until I ran that race."

For Sunday, Vestri prefers to keep her specific goals private.  But she already knows how she plans to execute the race, by staying both vigilant and patient.

"I'm typically not very patient in races, so in training we've been practicing patience," Vestri said.  "I think New York is the definition of being patient in a race.  I watched a few of the marathons back in the last few weeks to get an idea of how it plays out, and it's very much patience, patience, patience. Then the real racing starts with about 10-K to go."

By making her debut in New York, Vestri joins a super-elite group of American women who have chosen the TCS New York City Marathon for their first marathon: Deena Kastor in 2001 (seventh in 2:26:58), Marla Runyan in 2002 (fourth in 2:27:10), Kara Goucher in 2008 (third in 2:25:53), Shalane Flanagan in 2010 (second in 2:28:40), Laura Thweatt in 2015 (seventh in 2:28:23), Molly Huddle in 2016 (third in 2:28:13), and Annie Frisbie in 2021 (seventh in 2:26:18).  Flanagan won the race in 2017, which Vestri watched on television as an 18 year-old.

"It's surreal for sure," said Vestri as she thought about the great history of American debuts in New York.  "You've got Kara Goucher, who I've been lucky enough to speak to a couple of times about the marathon distance."  She continued: It's going to be a great opportunity.  I'm excited to debut in New York and take in the crowds, to be honest."

Vestri has already accomplished her first goal for Sunday's race: getting to the starting line healthy.  From there, she could feel successful with any number of outcomes.

"I think a good day is the fact that I got to the start line healthy, and mentally and physically ready.  I enjoyed the build and I get to go out and celebrate.  If I can cross that line and say I did everything I could, that will be successful for me.  Running smart and running brave is my main goal."

PHOTO: Amanda Vestri finishing third at the 2025 USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

PHOTO: Amanda Vestri after finishing third at the 2025 USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)