Heart-in-mouth moment a marathon runner collapses just 30metres shy of line
Heart-to-mouth marathoner trying to break the three-hour barrier stumbles just short of the finish line with seconds to spare – so did he make it?
- Personal best times are incredibly important for runners
- 73,000 runners watched in amazement
- Years of training led to these incredible last few seconds
An incredibly emotional moment occurred in the last 30 meters of this year’s massive Xiamen Marathon in South China when a competitor crashed into the bitumen with the finish in sight.
The runner had set a personal best of exactly three hours for the tough race, on what is considered a very scenic course, but one with a history of catastrophes.
In 2016, two runners died during a half marathon on the track.
There were heartbreaking scenes as the audience watched as the unnamed runner struggled as his body gave way just 100 feet from the 26.0-mile course.
He left the starting line as he wanted to break the magic three-hour barrier and with 100 meters to go he seemed to have that target safely in his hands.
The crowd at the 2023 Xiamen Marathon faced a heartbreaking scene as an athlete’s body collapsed with only meters to go
After fighting through fatigue and exhaustion, he grabs his sunglasses and tries to run the last 25 meters of the grueling marathon. Others collapsing can be seen in the background
But his body continues to challenge him and he collapses again just 10 yards from the line
With zero energy production left, and still desperate to run for three hours, he expends the last of his energy and dives across the finish line to another fallen rival… agonizingly missing his time by seconds
But then he faltered. Unexpected and uncontrolled.
His form started to fall off badly with 90 meters to run. After 50 meters he was completely out of gas.
With about 30 yards to go, his sunglasses fell off his face and he was still aware that he was trying to get them back. He tried to lean forward, but it cost him dearly as his body gave way.
He managed to stay upright using the side plank while holding out one hand for balance, but once he picked them up, the sudden shift of muscle and blood through his body took control of his limbs.
His brain was still functioning and he knew he had to cross the finish line, but his body stopped responding.
He fell heavily on the tarmac road, planting his face in spectacular fashion, his glasses falling to the side again.
But he wanted to improve that time.
The Kenyan Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba wins the race in a fast time of 2:08.24
73,000 started this year’s Xiamen Marathon in South China.
So somehow he gathered tremendous strength, he got up, went again, but 10 meters later his body stopped him. He felt it and dove over the line when he collapsed.
Spectators and officials could only watch in disbelief as the spirit of the brave athlete propelled him forward. The clock kept ticking too, but he was determined.
However, his efforts, courageous as they were, failed.
The clock ticked just over 3 hours during that last heartbreaking 30 yards.
He failed to run his PB by about 70 seconds. His last 100 meters lasted over a minute.
Classified as an Elite Platinum Label race, this year’s Xiamen Marathon was won by Kenyan Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba in a brisk time of 2:08.04.
The race has been running since 2003 and in 2021, during the height of Covid, only 67 athletes took part in the course, the winning time being 2:15.25 by local runner Yang Dinghong that year.