04/22/26 03:10:00
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04/22 15:08 CDT Runners were struggling to finish Boston Marathon when
competitors came along and helped them across
Runners were struggling to finish Boston Marathon when competitors came along
and helped them across
By MICHAEL CASEY
Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) --- Ajay Haridasse was close to finishing the Boston Marathon when
his legs gave out. But as he struggled to get up, two other runners came along,
lifted him up and helped him about 1,000 feet (305 meters) to the finish line.
The dramatic events unfolded at Monday's running of the iconic race. As scores
of runners passed Haridasse, his fellow competitors Robson De Oliveira of
Brazil and Aaron Beggs of Britain stopped, helped him up and carried him on
their shoulders to end of the race.
Pete Grasso, who was watching the race, caught the moment on video when the
pair picked up Haridasse.
"The coolest part about this moment was that these two guys 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. That's not easy to do,"
Grasso said in an email interview. "Seeing them put everything aside in that
moment just to get another runner across the line was incredible. And hearing
the crowd respond, cheering for them, supporting them, truly gave me chills."
A similar scene played out when runner Lan Nguyen of Washington, D.C. struggled
toward the finish. Fellow racers Jessica Kier of Snohomish, Washington,
Meredith Rosenberg of Boston and William Bara-Jimenez of Bethesda, Maryland
helped her to the finish --- at one point carrying her part of the way. Nguyen
then scooted across the finish line.
Boston Athletic Association, which organized the race, said in a statement that
it was inspiring how fellow runners help those struggling runners reach "the
most historic finish line in all of road racing on Boylston Street."
"The uplifting spirit of the running community to help one another, especially
in times of need, is on full display on Patriots' Day --- not just at the
finish, but all along the race route," the organization said, adding that
29,101 of the 29,470 racers finished.
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