Start Line Stories: Coming Full Circle with Greenville’s Erin Helbling
Erin Helbling after finishing the 2024 Eugene Marathon.
Running is having a full-circle moment in Erin Helbling’s life right now. Over half a lifetime ago, Erin joined the track and cross country teams at her high school and found a community that she desperately needed at a time when her own home life was not a safe space.
After a brief hiatus from running during college, Erin returned to the sport in 2019 and discovered the community aspect once again: both virtually — through the Instagram running community — and physically, when she moved to Greenville, South Carolina and joined multiple run clubs.
Over the course of her running journey, Erin also went from being a young girl with Type 1 Diabetes who was told she shouldn’t run the mile in PE class to a three-time marathoner who provides training and fueling tips to other runners dealing with T1D on the run.
This April, Erin is taking on the half marathon in Eugene alongside her best friend. Here’s her Start Line Story:
Name: Erin Helbling
Age: 32
Where are you from and where is home now?
I hail from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and I currently live in Greenville, South Carolina.
What’s your local run club or training group and tell us about it?
There are many! I run with Forward Training Club, they are a newer run club in Greenville and I’ve really been enjoying working out with them this winter. We do Thursdays one week as an easy run and then Friday track workouts the next week. It’s been perfect this winter, when it’s dark in the evenings and you don’t want to run alone.
I also run with Run Club Greenville, which is huge! They took a break in the winter and are starting back up in March, which I’m really excited about. And there’s also a group of wicked fast guys in town called the We Run @ Dawn crew (which includes former Eugenian Nick Dibos and his wife Kristine - who completed the 2023 Eugene Marathon and have now moved to Greenville). I can’t keep up with them, but I like to run with Kristine while they are working out.
The whole running community in Greenville is absolutely blowing up right now and I’m so pumped to be a part of it.
Why Eugene 2025?
I ran Eugene in 2024 and it was incredible: I had to be in San Francisco the week before for work, so instead of flying back to the east coast, I decided to go to Eugene, spend a week there and then run the marathon. I went to the Ali on the Run show and heard Emily Halnon say that Eugene was all about rainbows and puppies and marathon PRs and that’s exactly what that week was like for me. And it was such an incredible time that I wanted to come back in 2025.
Then I got the opportunity to do Boston this year, so I’m planning to run the half in Eugene. Last fall, Boston wasn’t originally part of the plan. Honestly, I had become disillusioned by chasing the BQ standard and being let down year after year; but I am a Type 1 diabetic and the opportunity came up to run Boston for Breakthrough T1D. I’ve raised over $10,000 and am really excited to run for their team; the research they’ve done has changed my life and the life of so many who have to manage living with Type 1 diabetes. So yeah, I’ll be running Boston and then heading out to Eugene 6 days later.
Current Total Marathon Count:
3
Favorite road race or racing experience?
Any race that I get to run with a friend is always the best! I’m going to be running the Eugene half with my best friend Jenny and I just can’t wait. The best road race I’ve ever run was the New York City Marathon in 2021. It was the first one in person since COVID and it was such a great reminder of the goodness of humanity. I think that was always the most magical day, not because of time, or blood sugars, but because of the community and the energy of the city on that day.
What kind of training plan are you following and do you have a specific goal on race day?
I work with a coach and she’s been great. The goal for Boston was to just have fun, but I’m feeling really good right now and just had a massive PR in the half, so we might go for a PR. My Eugene goal is just to finish and have fun running with my best friend.
Finish the sentence: What I love so much about running is _____
The community - hands down. Half the time I wouldn’t get out the door if a friend wasn’t there waiting to run with me. Do I love running? Yes. But there’s something about the running community that’s magical.
Why the marathon?
It hurts. Prior to 2019, I never wanted to run a marathon. Then in 2019, I decided I wanted to return to running after some time off and I wanted a new challenge. Running on social media had just started to grow and everyone looked like they were having such a good time running marathons. So I did it and you get that high on marathon day and it really carries you through. And running with Type 1 diabetes has been an added challenge, and I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to run 26 miles and keep my blood sugars in range and then share that knowledge with others.
What started your running journey?
In high school, I was in an abusive family relationship and my track and cross country teams were such an outlet for me. They were a way to have a safe community. Then I took some time away from running in college and after college I needed to find a way to move my body in a healthy way, so I started running again. Then during COVID I started this Instagram page about running with Type 1 Diabetes and got a lot of feedback and questions - and that’s been really inspiring to keep going.
…
Erin will be at the Start Line in Eugene alongside her best friend Jenny and with others from the thriving Greenville running community. Give her a follow on Instagram at @runningt1d and a big high five on race morning.