Kenya’s Hyvon Ngetich lost her bid to win the 2015 Austin Marathon with just 50 metres to the finish line.
She was heading for the win before collapsing to the ground with the finish line in sight.
Volunteers offered her a wheelchair, which she refused to use. She got on all fours and started crawling as the crowd cheered on. Race officials and medical staff let her finish as assisting her would have led to her disqualification.
Ng’etich finished third in the race which was won by another Kenyan Cynthia Jerop.
Race Director John Conley watched in amazement as Ngetich crossed the line.
‘When she came around the corner on her hands and knees, I have never, in 43 years of being involved in this sport, seen a finish like that,’ he told FOX 7 TV in Austin.
Conley said to Ngetich: ‘You have ran the bravest race and crawled the bravest crawl I have ever seen in my life.
‘You have earned much honour, and I am going to adjust your prize money, so you can get the prize money you would have gotten if you were second.’
Here’s a video.
