A RUNNER IN the Dallas marathon showed tremendous sportsmanship over the weekend to help a struggling race leader get to the finish line and win.
17-year-old Ariana Luterman โ a high school student โ was finishing the anchor leg of the girlsโ relay in the Dalas marathon on Sunday, when she came upon the womenโs race leader Dr Chandler Self on the final stretch.
Self was struggling over the final yards and her legs were buckling due to exhaustion.
Luterman first came alongside Self with two miles to go in the race, and encouraged her to keep going.
The pair finished the race together arm-in-arm to allow Self to claim the victory in an unofficial time of 2:53:58.
Self walked the last few steps, such was the extent of the fatigue, and slapped down the tape at the finish line.
Speaking to Dallas News, Self said:
โIโm not really sure what happened. My legs started turning to Jell-O at Mile 24 โฆ Then at Mile 25.5, they turned to Jell-O so much that every step I took, they were giving out from under me.โ
The New York City psychiatristโs family later credited the high school student with the win.
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the yearโs best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Easonโs, or order it here today (โฌ10):
Original, never seen before, first for everything news story. Quality
@Cathal: you ok hun?
@B Collins: Your Joe Lycett copying is obviously unoriginal also
That young lady that helped her is one smashing human being. Her family must be really proud of her.
@Gary: love the way the commentator says: sheโs going to be fine, just as the wheel chair swings around with her head lying limply out the back!
Did the Brownlee brothers not do something similar a while back? Maybe Iโm deluded, thought I came across something like this with them involved
@Michael Grace: they did. The elder brother helped the younger one over the line to second place. Points in each race mattered so the younger brother won the overall World Series or whatever it was because of that second place. A Russian overtook them for first near the end.
@Kevin O Sullivan: Some say that Russian is still running.
Iโd say Self should be disqualified. Itโs like that Dorando Pietri incident in the 1908 Olympics
Not quite a Self less act so..