Aussie athlete praised for stunning act of good sportsmanship after shocking mistake in race
Half marathoner wins accolades for incredible act of sportsmanship after handing his winner’s medal to a rival over a shocking mistake
- Deen Verwey took part in the big Mornington race
- Finished first, but then there was drama
- Has been praised for his stunning gesture
Victorian athlete Dane Verwey selflessly handed over his winning medal and prize money to a fellow runner after a shocking error by officials during a half marathon in Victoria last weekend.
His magnanimous gesture followed a bizarre mistake by race officials late in the grueling 21km event when the cyclist who was showing competitors the right way along the course took the race leader on the wrong path, clearing the way for Verwey to dive. to first place late in the piece.
“I was behind him – I would say 50 meters behind actually – and he did the right thing during the race by following the front engine,” Verwey explained to radio 3AW.
“The bike guides us all the time and shows us the right paths to go.
Selfless athlete Dane Verwey (in the lead) won the Mornington half marathon, but donated his winnings and medal to an unplaced runner when a shocking blunder came to light
“The bike got him on the wrong side late in the race and when he was discovered he was running about half a mile ahead of the rest of us.”
Verwey, 37, went on to win the Half Marathon event at the Mornington Running Festival in a stunning time of 1:11.01.
But as pleased as he was with his solid performance, the popular Victorian physiotherapist couldn’t in good conscience keep the winner’s loot, so he sought out the runner who should have come first.
“I told him, ‘Don’t worry, mate, I saw the bike took you the wrong way. And after I did the math and worked out how much time you lost on the mistake, it was clear to me that you would have persevered and won if this hadn’t happened,” he said.
Verwey gave up his $500 first prize and winner’s medal when the umpires’ big mistake robbed his rival of first place
That winning loot that Verwey handed over included a check for $500 and the winner’s medal.
It is not the first time that Verwey’s running career has brought him to a memorable moment.
He laced up and entered the 2022 Berlin Marathon in hopes of a major personal best, little knowing at the time that the race would become the greatest marathon in history.
This was the race that broke Eliud Kipchoge’s world record with an incredible 2:01:09. I still had four miles to run when he crossed the line,” he recalls.
The next stop for Victorian physio is the Brisbane Marathon in a few weeks.
He has a best of 2:20 for distance and hopes to improve on that in Brisbane.
If karma is involved, he deserves it.