 Eyestone (middle) at the 1983 USA Cross Country Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | (1961-06-15)June 15, 1961 (age 64) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track,long-distance running |
Event(s) | 5000 meters,10,000 meters,marathon |
| College team | BYU |
| Now coaching | BYU |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Olympic finals | 1988, 1992 |
| Personalbest(s) | 5000 meters: 13:32.52[1] 10,000 meters: 27:41.05[1] Marathon: 2:10:59[1] |
Edward D. Eyestone (born June 15, 1961) is a two-time Olympic marathoner,long-distance runner, and anNCAA coach for theBYU Track Team. Eyestone was named National Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2024, after leading his NCAA D1 men's cross country teams to NCAA championships.
Eyestone graduated fromBonneville High School inWashington Terrace, Utah and was the Utah State High School State Champion in cross-country and track and field.
Eyestone attendedBrigham Young University (BYU) earning a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in psychology and a Master of Science (M.S.) in exercise science. He served a two-year mission inSpain, but returned to BYU in 1982.[2] At BYU, he became a 10-time NCAA All-American and in 1984 went undefeated in NCAA cross-country events. Eyestone is one of only four runners, along withGerry Lindgren,Edward Cheserek, andSuleiman Nyambui, to capture the NCAA "Triple Crown" by becoming the 1985 NCAA Champion in cross-country, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. In 1985, the Academic All-American and recipient of theNCAA Top Six Award set a then-NCAA record in the 10,000 meters with a time of 27:41:05. As of 2018, it was still the third-fastest official 10,000 meter time in NCAA history.[3] He finished his collegiate career with four NCAA Championships.
In 1986, Eyestone won the San FranciscoBay to Breakers 12 km race,[4] defeating an estimated 110,000 competitors in what theGuinness Book of Records considers theworld's largest footrace.[5]
After putting up his shoes, Eyestone has become a noted distance and road racing expert, serving as a columnist forRunner's World magazine and television commenter for ESPN's "Race of the Month" series. Eyestone served as an analyst forNBC Sports coverage ofTrack and Field andRace Walking at the2008 Summer Olympics.[11]
Eyestone returned to BYU as both head coach of the cross-country team and men's track assistant coach in 2000 and was later promoted to head track coach in 2013.[12] Coach Eyestone has been named "Coach of the Year" for NCAA D1 Men's Cross Country twice (2019, 2024), "Coach of the Year" for theWest Coast Conference (WCC) seven times, and "Coach of the Year" for theMountain West Conference (MWC) six times (2002, 2004–2008). He is a BYU Hall of Fame Inductee. Previously he served as assistant track coach atWeber State University (1996–98).
Coach Eyestone was named head coach of Team USA at the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda.
On November 23, 2019, the BYU men's cross-country team (coached by Eyestone) won the NCAA D1 Championship race in Terre Haute, Indiana. Eyestone also became the first male to have both won an individual NCAA D1 Cross Country title and coach a Division 1 team to a national title.[13] Eyestone was subsequently named the "Men's National Coach of the Year" (2019) by theU.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.[14] Eyestone was also named the State of Utah's Governor's State of Sport Award for Collegiate "Coach of the Year" (2020).[15]
AsConner Mantz transitioned from BYU to marathon racing at Chicago andBoston, Eyestone stayed in the coach role and his name continued to be mentioned throughout running media.[16]
Eyestone is a member ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,[17] and he was one of threereturn missionaries to participate in the1988 Summer Olympics along withHenry Marsh andDoug Padilla.[18]
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