Corey Bellemore, the Canadian athlete who holds the world record in the Beer Mile race, celebrated his 22nd birthday on Thursday with new Adidas equipment.
Bellemore, who competes on the track and field team at the University of Windsor in Ontario, won the Beer Mile World Classic in July, setting a world record time of 4:34:35 in an event that requires participants to run a mile while stopping every 400 meters to drink a can of beer.
“Corey comes from a track and field background, and he’s training for the 2020 Olympics,” Kris Mychasiw, a managing partner at Spring Management who represents Bellemore, told FORTUNE. “He just kind of walked into the beer mile and happened to be really good at it.”
Adidas agreed to provide Bellemore with equipment, apparel and footwear for 2017—something the company said it does with many athletes.
“Adidas has agreed to provide Corey with some apparel for him to train and compete in,” Adidas said in a statement. “We wish him every success in his future competition.”
Spokespeople for the company said it is not an official partnership or endorsement deal.
Mychasiw said Bellemore’s ultimate goal is to compete in the 1,500-or 800-meter events at the Olympics. And Mychasiw hopes the Adidas contract, which extends through 2017, will give Bellemore more exposure.
“He’s super excited. When I initially approached him about a few companies being interested, he didn’t believe me,” Mychasiw said. “He’s absolutely thrilled about that association.”
Correction: The original version of this story mischaracterized the relationship between Corey Bellemore and Adidas. Adidas provided him with free equipment.
