As any runner can testify, there are some days that things all of a sudden just are not going your way. The marathon is a brutal beast that can see you toe the line in some of the best shape of your life only to see you break down to some degree later on. That happened to me in Dubai one year when I felt great after the best training cycle I ever had only to come down with the stomach flu and start hurling for the last 8 miles.
Visit this link to see the short and longer version of the video of this finish.
As a marathon runner, when you hear of someone’s dogged determination carrying them across the finish line on their knees, you almost get tingles thinking about how that runner felt and what was going on. For many non-marathoners, I am sure that there is the thought of “why don’t you just quit if it is not your day?” It is something incredible to go 26 miles on foot and then crawl that last bit to the finish line, not just to complete it but to try and get on the podium as well.
That is what the Austin Marathon women’s third place finisher did on Sunday. Hyvon Ngetich was in the lead and with 50 meters left, her body gave out and she was crawling to the finish line. She ended up being passed by the eventual winner and then another woman before coming in third by only three seconds.
It turns out that Ngetich had seriously low blood sugar levels when she was treated after the race.
In the interest of health and safety, if there is something seriously wrong with you during a race, do not think you are a quitter if you stop and seek medical attention!
HT: Runner’s World
