Runners who found themselves struggling close to the finish line of Monday’s Boston Marathon received help from competitors still moving through the race at high speed, according to the Associated Press.
In one sequence near the end of the event, Ajay Haridasse was reported to be close to finishing when his legs gave out. As he struggled to get up, two other runners came along and helped him toward the finish line.
The AP reported that Robson De Oliveira of Brazil and Aaron Beggs of Britain stopped during the late stages of the race to help Haridasse. The two then lifted him and helped him about 1,000 feet (305 meters) to the finish, with the moment playing out as other competitors passed by.
Pete Grasso, who was watching the race, caught what he described as a brief but striking intervention on video. He later said the two runners were “less than a tenth of a mile away, in the middle of a really, really fast race, and still stopped to help a fellow runner who needed some help,” adding, “That’s not easy to do.” Grasso also said it gave him chills to see the crowd’s response as the runners supported the injured competitor and worked to get him across the line.
Beggs’ club in Northern Ireland, the North Down Athletic Club, also praised his actions. In an email reported by the AP, the club said it was “immensely proud of Aaron’s sporting achievements” and of the “incredible actions” he showed at the Boston Marathon, noting that he had already endured 26 miles at that point. The club also called him “an honest gentleman” and said it was “delighted” to have him as a member.
A second reported example involved Lan Nguyen, of Washington, D.C., who was also struggling toward the finish. The AP said that when Nguyen could not walk, fellow racers Jessica Kier of Snohomish, Washington, Meredith Rosenberg of Boston and William Bara-Jimenez of Bethesda, Maryland, helped her to the finish.
The AP reported that Rosenberg was on pace for a personal best when she spotted Nguyen around mile 25, and she said Nguyen “clearly could not walk,” with medics attempting to get her into a wheelchair. Rosenberg and the other runners decided to carry Nguyen the rest of the way, passing cheering volunteers as they approached the end of the race.
After Nguyen was taken to a wheelchair after finishing, the AP reported that the four helpers hugged, and Rosenberg described the experience as what community running is about. She said, “I have run 12 marathons. Every finish line is special, but this was just even better to be able to help her get across the finish line and just to know that I was part of that,” and added that “That’s really what running in the community is about.”
Jack Fleming, president and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the race, said the actions were typical of the kindness runners show around the world. In remarks reported by the AP, Fleming said, “No marathon is easy. There’s no fooling this distance,” and said marathoners and athletes help each other beyond Boston as well, calling the behavior “a common denominator” in the sport.