I’m so excited to share this conversation with Amanda Vestri, who is an absolute joy to interview. She’s got a lot to say about her goals with running and how her mindset has evolved over time. It was inspiring hearing her talk about how she views the sport and what’s ahead for her.

Recently, Amanda ran an impressive 67:35 at the Houston Half Marathon, marking her second-ever half. Her debut was in Orlando, where she won and ran 68:12. She was initially supposed to run the Valencia Half, known for its speed, but due to an injury that popped up just weeks before, she had to pull out. Instead, she raced in Orlando and then in Houston, which led to an amazing result. At Houston, she finished as the second American behind Weini Kelati, and fourth overall. With the Half Marathon Championships coming up in Atlanta this March, it’s going to be exciting to see Amanda, Weini, and many other fast women battling it out. The field will be stacked!

Amanda is sponsored by Brooks and runs with ZAP Fitness. She ran for Syracuse University after initially starting her college career at Iowa State. In our conversation, she reflects on her journey post-college and how it wasn’t quite what she expected. The path to finding the right team and sponsorship wasn’t smooth at first, but ZAP Fitness really gave her the opportunity she needed. And now she has a sponsorship with Brooks!

Speaking of her sponsorship with Brooks, she shares a wild story about signing her deal just an hour before the Olympic Trials, which is something I found so interesting. Amanda also had an amazing result at the Olympic Trials in the 10,000 meters, finishing fifth while coming off a COVID recovery, which is an incredible accomplishment given the competition.

She currently lives in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, where ZAP Fitness is based, and it’s always a pleasure to chat with her. I know when she runs her first marathon, it’s going to be something special.