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"If it weren’t for Penta water, I’m not sure I would be holding my undefeated record this year! In April, I won two races back-to-back, one on the east coast in Charleston, SC and the other in Carlsbad, CA on the west coast with only a few hours sleep after traveling. Penta water helps me keep my performance levels consistent.”
Eddy Hellebuyck practically started running before he could walk. As a young soccer player, he found his small size both to his advantage and disadvantage. While it was easy to make dirt fly with his awesome speed, he often found himself on the defensive --that is -- on the ground rather than on the field. One day he watched a marathon on TV and realized that this was the sport he wanted to do. He trained for just a year and ran an impressive 2 hours 15 minutes to place in the top 10 in the Antwerp Marathon in Belgium. From there he went professional.
Belgian born, Hellebuyck went to the Belgian Military Institute, was a sports officer until he moved to the United States in 1994. Eddy was a 1996 Olympian and is now honored as a veteran marathoner, having won 23 International Marathons. He is currently the American Record holder for the Master’s 10K, 15K, and Half-Marathon runs and is ranked 1st in the world for Masters Athletes by RunnersWorld Magazine. He is also a member if the prestigious United States National Track and Field Team. With teammates such as Marion Jones and Maurice Greene, they are dubbed the world’s #1 Track and Field team.
In the Carlsbad 5000 Masters Race in April 2002, Eddy pulled away from a pack of four runners in the last 200 yards of the event to win the race in 14:47. He continues to reign as the #1 American Masters’ runner. On June 23rd, Eddy claimed another overall first place at the high profile Kona Marathon in Hawaii with a time of 2:23:31. The race is on the run portion of the famous ironman course on the big island of Hawaii. On August 3rd, Eddy came in first again in his class (with a time of 29:48) at the largest sporting event in the state of Maine, the annual Beach to Beacon 10K which attracts 5,000 participants. The 6.2-mile run, starting at Crescent Beach and ending at Portland Head Light, the nation's first commissioned lighthouse, draws runners from all parts of the US and elite athletes from around the world. Most recently, Eddy was the top American finisher at the 2003 Boston Marathon, finishing 10th with a time of 2:17:18. "I'm very proud to be the first American in the field," he said. "To finish in the top 10 is a major accomplishment. I'm happy. To be in the top 10 in Boston is great at the age of 42."
In addition to his wins, Eddy is big on helping others train for other marathons. In June he held a clinic in the San Francisco Bay area where he was the interactive coach for the Silicon Valley Marathon.
When not racing or training at high altitude near his home in Albuquerque, NM, Eddy spends all his time with his wife, Shawn, and three children, Debbie 17, Dennis 16, and Jordan 6. Dennis already plays semi-pro soccer in a Belgian Club, and Jordan is the New Mexico State Tae-Kwan Do Champion for his age, and loves to run just like his father.
Find out more about Eddy Hellebuyck’s winning streak by visiting the runningbuzz.com site. Back to Penta People Index |
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