Andy Palmer (runner)

Last updated
Andy Palmer
Personal information
Born(1953-11-26)November 26, 1953
Madawaska, Maine, United States
DiedFebruary 2, 2002(2002-02-02) (aged 48)
Blowing Rock, North Carolina, United States
Sport
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Event(s) Marathon, Half Marathon
College team University of Maine at Presque Isle
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) Marathon : 2:16:25
20 km : 1:01:53
10 miles : 47:52

Andy Palmer was an American distance runner and coach. He competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials marathon in 1984 and 1988. Palmer was also the Founder of ZAP Endurance, a high-performance training center for endurance athletes.

Contents

Early life

Palmer grew up in Madawaska, Maine and attended Madawaska High School, where he played basketball. He continued his basketball career at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Palmer didn’t start running until after college at age 23. [1]

He relocated to Boston in the late 1970s and began training with elite marathoners, Bill Rodgers and Charlie Spedding. Palmer ran 150 to 190 miles per week, far more than most runners can tolerate, and he routinely did hill workouts wearing a 40-pound vest. [1]

Career

His training led to world-class performances beginning in 1981. At the Cherry Blossom 10-mile in Washington, DC, Palmer placed fifth in a time of 47:52. In 1983, he recorded a 2:16:25 marathon, which qualified him for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. He also placed in the top 10 at the USA 20km Championship in New Haven, CT. He repeated the feat in 1984. [2]

Palmer made it to the 1988 Olympic Trials Marathon before stepping back from competitive racing to focus on teaching and coaching. He owned and operated the Maine Running Camp in Bar Harbor, Maine for over 20 years. [1]

With his wife, Zika, Palmer founded ZAP Endurance in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, a high-performance training center for top-tier post-collegiate distance runners. [3] Although Palmer died suddenly of a heart attack in 2002 shortly before ZAP opened, [4] it’s still in operation as of 2025.

Palmer was inducted into the Maine Running Hall of Fame in 2000. [5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Horst, Stephen (2009-03-26). "Andy Palmer garners Legends honors". The County. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
  2. ↑ "Andy Palmer". World Athletics. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
  3. ↑ "History". ZAP Endurance. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
  4. ↑ "Runner Andrew Palmer Suffers Heart Attack - February 2002". Cape Cod Athletic Club. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
  5. ↑ "Andy Palmer - 2000". Maine Running Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
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