Garcia Named USATF SC Long Distance Runner of the Year for 2020

The information below was provided by Bill Marable, the USATF South Carolina State Record Keeper.

Competing in the state’s toughest events Eduardo “Eddie” Garcia won 3 of 6 races he participated in 2020, with major wins coming at The Long Run 15K (Columbia) in 46:32, the Lowcountry Elite Invitational 5K (Hardeeville) in 14:17 and the Governor’s Cup Half Marathon (Columbia) in a state record of 1:05:25.  He lowered that record at the Mortgage Network Half Marathon (Hardeeville) to 1:04:32, finishing eighth in the state’s most competitive event.  On the track he ran 10,000 meters in 29:48.56 placing runner-up at the Under 30 and outside of South Carolina at the Music City Festival he ran 5000 meters in 14:20.37.

A native of Jacksonville, FL, Garcia has dual citizenship with the United States Virgin Islands.  Competing at the University of Florida his top accomplishment was winning the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship at 10,000 meters in 2015.  He graduated in 2016 with a degree in in Sports Management.

In 2019 he represented the Virgin Islands at the Pan-American Games in Lima. Peru placing 12th in the marathon in 2:19:12.  He ran 2:18:50 that same year in Houston which is one of a total 10 national records he holds.

In March of 2018 Garcia joined ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE and works as a sales associate at Fleet Feet Sports.  He is coached by the club’s director Mike Caldwell, who is a former Furman athlete and has an extensive background in the running industry.  Their goal is for him to compete it to the Tokyo Olympics this summer.  The 28-year-old athlete in currently engaged to Sydney Sibner.
 
Other contenders for this award were Chris Bailey, Jonathan McGinnis, Brett Morley and James Quattlebaum.

GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. The program produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru and three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA.  The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 48-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance) , On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running.  The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and  USATF.​