Paul de Bruyn
Encyclopedia
Paul de Bruyn was a German
athlete.
Born in Weserdeich (Berne, Germany
) he became a Navy sailor and settled in New York City
, where he started long distance running. He became the first runner from outside North America to win the Boston Marathon
in 1932. De Bruyn defeated defending champion Jimmy Henigan in 2:33:36, pulling ahead through the final two miles of the race and winning with a margin of 56 seconds.
De Bruyn went on to participate in the marathons
of the 1932
and the 1936 Summer Olympics
. He finished 15th in 1932 and gave up at km 35 in 1936. Not fitting into the training regimen of German athletics he returned to the United States
, quit road racing, married and became a U.S. citizen. As volunteer at the Navy in World War II
, he was heavily injured by an exploding ship's propeller in October 1945.
After the war he worked as engineer in New York City
. In 1967 he retired and moved to Florida
, where he kept himself fit by long hiking tours and swimming. He became an honorary member of the Daytona Beach Track Club and was subsequently commemorated by the Paul deBruyn Memorial 30K road race, which is held annually in New Smyrna Beach, Florida
. One year after he was invited to the 100th edition of the Boston Marathon, he died in Daytona Beach, Florida
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
athlete.
Born in Weserdeich (Berne, Germany
Berne, Germany
Berne is a municipality in the district of Wesermarsch, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Weser, approx. 20 km east of Oldenburg, and 25 km northwest of Bremen....
) he became a Navy sailor and settled in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he started long distance running. He became the first runner from outside North America to win the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
in 1932. De Bruyn defeated defending champion Jimmy Henigan in 2:33:36, pulling ahead through the final two miles of the race and winning with a margin of 56 seconds.
De Bruyn went on to participate in the marathons
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
of the 1932
Athletics at the 1932 Summer Olympics
At the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, 29 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 6 for women. It was the first time the 50 kilometre walk appeared in the men's athletics at the Games. This was only the second time women's events in athletics were included in the Olympic Games program...
and the 1936 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics
At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, 29 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 6 for women. The program of events was unchanged from the previous Games. There was a total of 776 participants from 43 countries competing.-Medal table:...
. He finished 15th in 1932 and gave up at km 35 in 1936. Not fitting into the training regimen of German athletics he returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, quit road racing, married and became a U.S. citizen. As volunteer at the Navy in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was heavily injured by an exploding ship's propeller in October 1945.
After the war he worked as engineer in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1967 he retired and moved to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where he kept himself fit by long hiking tours and swimming. He became an honorary member of the Daytona Beach Track Club and was subsequently commemorated by the Paul deBruyn Memorial 30K road race, which is held annually in New Smyrna Beach, Florida
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
New Smyrna Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 20,048 according to the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 23,161.-History:...
. One year after he was invited to the 100th edition of the Boston Marathon, he died in Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
.
External links
- Boston Marathon, TIMETime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, May 2, 1932