Vega at his 101st barefoot marathon. Photo courtesy of Cheryl Murdoc
By Kim Constantinesco
Golfers carry clubs, tennis players tote racquets, and hockey players bear sticks. Marathon runner Eddie Vega proudly carries tweezers.
That’s because this 55-year-old IT consultant known as the “Barefoot Bandito” has run 121 marathons barefoot. In 2014 alone, he ran 2,646.2 miles, or 101 marathons, without shoes, which set two new Guinness World Records for the most barefoot marathons run on consecutive days (10), and the most barefoot marathons run in one year.
“I’m hoping that my record will stay because I don’t think I can even break it myself,” Vega said with a laugh.
Vega didn’t get pedicures or have any other special care instructions for his feet other than washing them thoroughly after each race and applying Neosporin to his wounds.
In fact, Guinness wouldn’t allow him to put anything on his feet during races, not even a band-aid to cover a cut. Otherwise, they’d disqualify the marathon. Vega wore a GoPro on his chest during each race so that Guinness could verify its legitimacy.
Tweezers as Good as Gold
Even though he says stepping in dog poop is the worst thing to step on, Vega has experienced thorns, glass, nails, screws, and sharp rocks piercing the bottoms of his feet. His tweezers really came in handy during the Day of the Dead Marathon in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The 12-loop course along the Rio Grande River was littered with Goat Heads.
“There was one occasion when I stepped off to the side of the trail to discharge my bladder, I stepped on about ½ a dozen on each foot,” Vega said. “I couldn’t continue to walk so I just sat on my buttocks and pulled them out one by one using my trusted tweezers.”
Running in Antarctica. Photo Courtesy of DAP Grupo
That was nothing compared to the time that he tried to run a marathon in Antarctica barefoot. It was the only barefoot race that he did not finish.
“I didn’t realize that I was leaving blood trails along the course,” Vega said. “We were informed prior to the race that the White Continent is a ‘No Impact Zone,’ meaning that what comes onto Antarctica leaves Antarctica. Anything you needed to consume or let go of had to be carried on your body all the way back to Chile. No spitting was allowed and you had to carry your own pee bottle and poo bag. The fact that I was leaving blood trails the entire length of the course was clearly in violation of the ‘No Impact Zone’ policy. This obviously became the joke of many conversations on our flight back to Punta Arenas, Chile.”
However, Vega’s definition of a ‘DNF’ is much different than ours. At 8.7 miles into the race, the very real threat of frostbite and the splattering blood from his blisters forced Vega to put shoes on.
“My skin was pretty much gone at that point,” Vega said. “The last 17.5 miles was harder than the first 8.7.”
That’s right. Vega still ran the full 26.2. It didn’t count as part of his total for Guinness, but it was a race that made a significant impact on his greater “race” overall.
“That experience in Antarctica set the tone to go for the Guinness record,” Vega said. “It gave me the confidence where if I can go out barefoot in Antarctica, I can run barefoot anywhere.”
Toeing the Line
The quest was on, but there was a beginning to it. There always is.
Going barefoot on a dare from friends in 2012 at the Savage Seven Marathon in Florida wasn’t exactly the start of it either.
Born on the province of Leyte, in the Philippines, Vega and his family immigrated to Guam in 1966, when he was 6 years old.
“As a kid growing up in the Philippines, I would chuck my shoes and run around barefoot with the other kids who could not afford shoes,” Vega said. “Although my family was not poor, I would play barefoot with my friends in order to fit in. As a result, I contracted hookworms and became infected with tuberculosis from a contagious neighbor who would spit blood on the grounds that we played in. Had I not immigrated to Guam, I would have probably been dead by now. I was fortunate that Guam had the modern facilities at that time to get rid of the hookworms, and most importantly, treat my tuberculosis.”
Throughout his teenage years, Vega lived with severe asthma. Naturally, he didn’t like running, and he didn’t excel at the other sports he tried such as baseball and basketball.
As advised by his doctor, Vega went to college in a drier climate, at New Mexico State University. Not once did he suffer an asthma attack in his three years of living there.
Then Vega tested the pavement pounding “waters.” He started running to get in shape and lose wight, and by 2007, he completed his first marathon in North Carolina, which is where he currently lives. The excitement from the race as well as his charitable contribution (he raised enough money to build two homes for poor families in the Philippines) was enough for him to catch the “bug.”
The years passed and the miles accumulated. By the time his friends dared him to go barefoot, he was on his 50th marathon overall, and the 5th marathon in the same number of days. He ran the race in honor of his late mom and dad, and felt like a rock star doing it, especially with all the attention he was drawing.
Baring All For a Good Cause
Vega began raising money for Soles4Souls, a program that donates shoes and clothing in order to combat global poverty.
“There are over 300 million children worldwide who are without shoes or adequate footwear because they can’t afford them,” Vega said. “To compound the problem, most countries like the Philippines, will not allow children to attend school unless they wear shoes. This contributes to the vicious cycle of poverty.”
Distributing over 1,000 pairs of shoes to school and orphanages in the Philippines. Photo courtesy of Peter Cowles of Seeds of Dignity Ministries
With his barefoot runs, Vega raised $12,366 for Soles4Souls, which, thanks to partnering with Sketchers, equals 12,366 brand new pairs of shoes.
Vega acts as an ambassador of sorts in the Philippines. He was there three times last year donating shoes and speaking with groups of children.
“I tell them that it doesn’t matter where they come from or what their economic status is,” Vega said. “They can be whatever they want. I tell them not to let anybody put them down or tell them that they can’t do the things they want to do.”
The kids are especially receptive to Vega’s message because as a child who went barefoot in the Philippines, they can relate to him.
On to the Next Race
This year, Vega will be toning things down and running with shoes. He’ll also try to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
“For 2015, I only have 20 marathons scheduled so far. I’m slowing down,” Vega chuckled.
In the upcoming races, people won’t be shouting, “Son, you better wear shoes or you’re going to catch some germs,” nor will they ask to see the bottoms of his feet. It’s back to running for the pure joy of it, at least for now.
“If somebody breaks my record, then I would be forced to defend it,” Vega said. “I really don’t want to make another attempt. It was a rough year last year. Very busy. I didn’t get a lot of sleep.”
Vega proves that you’re not required to have a pair of shoes in order to walk a mile in someone else’s.
