This Was The Best Gesture At The London Marathon

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

The 2017 London Marathon, which has had great support from royalty, witnessed a moment of authentic sportsmanship when one of the runners stopped his march to help another and carry him almost on his back to cross the finish line.

Matthew Rees was running the last few meters of the 26.2 mile course when he saw David Wyeth about to collapse. Instead of following his path to the goal, he gave up arriving at the time he intended and spent precious seconds not only to encourage his partner, but also to continue to the end.

"I got to the last corner and saw a racer struggling, his legs collapsing under him," the good Samaritan told the BBC. “Every time I tried to get up, he kept falling to the ground… I went up to him and said 'come on, you can do this' and I tried to lift him, but every time he tried to get up, I realized that I wasn't going to make it…. I said, 'Come on, we can do this, we'll do it together, we'll cross the line together.'

Several people captured with their cell phones the emotional images of Rees taking the arm of his partner and passing it over his shoulders, to help him continue his way to the final line, unleashing cheers and tears of emotion among the spectators.

Seeing how his act of generosity is turning the world around, he played down his actions. "That is the spirit, which encompasses what running is and what a marathon is all about," he said.

This year more than 40,000 runners participated in the famous marathon in the British capital.