Hyvon Ng'etich collapses and crawls to finish line: inspiring.

[veritas]

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By ANTONY KARANJA
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AUSTIN, TEXAS

Kenyan marathon runner Hyvon Ngetich lost her bid to win the 2015 Austin Marathon after she collapsed to the ground with less than 50 meters to the finish line.

Ngetich, 29, who was leading the women runners for most of the race, started losing steam and her body began giving up on her with about two kilometers remaining in the race.

She, however, continued running while stumbling and seemingly weak.

With the finish line in sight, Ng'etich was clearly overwhelmed and came crashing down on the tarmac in downtown Austin, a city about 320 kilometers south of Dallas.

Ngetich was determined not to quit the race even as she was on her knees in obvious pain. After a brief pause while on her hands and knees and with her forehead on the ground, she started an agonizing crawl toward the finish line.

The crowd gasped while some shed tears upon seeing her determination to finish the race in her condition. They cheered her on as she made several stops to catch her breath crawling slowly.

WHEEL CHAIR

A nurse kept a close watch on Ng’etich as she continued crawling but made sure that a wheel chair was close in case she could not continue any longer. Both the nurse and the marathon officials refrained from helping her out, which would have led to her disqualification.

Ngetich eventually crossed the finish line still on her hands and knees.

"Oh, God, thank you, I crossed," Ng’etich told reporters at the marathon. "For the last two kilometers, I don't remember. Finish line, I have no idea," said Ngetich.

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.

Crowley walked over to Ngetich and told her that she had earned the second-place prize money that she lost when her body gave in.

“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,” he told her.

Before collapsing, Ng'etich was in second place, behind another Kenyan runner, Cynthia Jerop, who went on to win the women’s race with a time of 2:54:21.

American runner Hannah Steffan raced past Ng'etich as she was about to cross the finish line. She finished with a time of 3:03:69. Ng'etich finished with a time of 3:04:02.

The men’s race was won by Kenya’s Bertram Keter, who posted 2:16:20.

The race attracted 15,000 runners from 40 countries.

[gout]

the desperation to get out of poverty is suicidal

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

The second Kenyan I have seen risking life and limb to finish a marathon.  She could have died out there with people egging her on.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

the desperation to get out of poverty is suicidal

At that point, I don't think she was aware of the danger she was in.  She was on autopilot.

[RV Pundit]

Unless you have ran 41.99kms and what remain is just mere 50M to rope..and you chose to just walk away..can you talk so callously. She was simply breathtakingly brave. She tested the limit of her body and endured..and that is what marathon really is all about. Possibly the hardest race..heck without doubt the most painful sport a human has ever engaged in.

You've got to respect anybody who compete in 42Kms of marathon in tarmac sometimes in high temperature...whether for money or not.

Kudos to Ng'etich.

I am sure in every 40Km race..marathoners get tested several times...the pain sometimes is unbearable..but they keep going..you cannot take a rest or a break..you have to keep going...

Ng'etich exemplify most athletes ability to withstand incredible pain. The ability to transcend mere portals. Most folks agree that Marathon is the toughest endurance sport there is in the world.

Here comes a brave girl who has ran 41.995 kms and what stand btw her and glory is mere 50m...and she says the hell..she'll crawl..and that is suppose to be anything except heroic. People have died in their sleep. Many.

[RV Pundit]

How many athletes have died while running a marathon? Her brain was okay...her legs had failed her..but she was determined to finish...even if it meant crawling.

At that point, I don't think she was aware of the danger she was in.  She was on autopilot.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

How many athletes have died while running a marathon? Her brain was okay...her legs had failed her..but she was determined to finish...even if it meant crawling.

At that point, I don't think she was aware of the danger she was in.  She was on autopilot.

I don't know how many have died in the marathon.

The lady says she does not remember the last 2 km.  it means she doesn't even remember crashing onto the tarmac.

[mya88]

Pundit is right. She showed courage amidst her failing body and health. The difficult part was already done and she could see the finish line.  50 meter after a 42 km is no joke. I am happy they gave her the reward money. I once participated in the Kenyan walk and run marathon while I was a teenager and I couldn’t walk for a week. It was about 26 miles or km, I can’t remember. Its not a joke. I don’t know what happened to her at the last minute given she has run many such races. Maybe she wasn’t adequately hydrating during this run and that took a toll on her body

[mya88]

the desperation to get out of poverty is suicidal

Poverty in itself is suicidal so why not get rich or die trying - ala 50?

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

I don’t know what happened to her at the last minute given she has run many such races. Maybe she wasn’t adequately hydrating during this run and that took a toll on her body

It could be just a bad running day.  The way I see it, they should change the rules.  I enjoy running.  But to run to that point is endangering yourself.  It's not any different from a knocked out boxer.

[gout]

weh...some other equally spirit testing sportmanship

One was from a Japanese gymnast and the other a Tanzanian marathon runner. Let us recall them before returning to Ngetich.

During the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, Japan’s Shun Fujimoto broke his knee during the floor exercise routine. Despite the excruciating pain, Fujimoto didn’t flinch. He endured the pain, afraid that news of what had just happened would demoralize his colleagues. He was not thinking about himself; he was thinking about them.

The badly injured gymnast continued to the pommel horse routine, miraculously scoring a staggering 9.5 out of 10. Next Fujimoto faced the rings, which would be his final event of the day.

He was going to dismount from these rings from a height of eight feet above the ground upon completion of this routine at great speed and force but he didn’t waver.

Fujimoto performed extraordinarily and upon completion of his routine, he hurled himself into a beautifully executed, triple-somersault dismount.

When his feet hit the floor, the pain from his shattered knee sliced through him like a knife. But, astonishingly, Fujimoto kept his balance. And then, gritting his teeth through the searing pain, he raised his arms in a perfect finish before collapsing in agony. He was awarded a 9.7, the highest score he had ever recorded on the rings.

Fujimoto had helped his team to win the closest gymnastics team competition in Olympic history and now it was time to receive the gold medal.

By now it was clear to everybody what had happened and assistance was offered to help him to the podium. He turned it down. He insisted on soldiering on to up there on his own.

That is the story of Shun Fujimoto. Now we remember John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania, like our Hyvon Ngetich, a marathon runner. The year was 1968 and the occasion was the Games of Mexico City.

DECLARED OVER

In the cold darkness of the night, Akhwari entered the stadium with a bloodied and heavily bandaged knee and shin. He wasn’t running; he was hobbling. The winner of this race had been declared over an hour earlier and only a small crowd remained in the stadium. All alone, Akhwari hobbled on.

As he crossed the finish line, the crowd rose on its feet and roared out its appreciation. Later, a reporter asked the runner why he had not retired from the race, since he had no chance of winning. He seemed confused by the question. Finally, he answered:

“My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me to finish.”

No athlete before him had given a better expression to the words of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, that it is not the winning that matters, but the brave endeavour.

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