Boston runners stop to help
- At the April 20 Boston Marathon, Aaron Beggs of Britain and Robson De Oliveira of Brazil stopped near the finish to carry Ajay Haridasse after repeated collapses on Boylston Street. - Haridasse, a 21-year-old Massachusetts runner, fell about 300 meters from the line; Beggs gave up a personal-best attempt, and both helpers still got him across the finish. - The scene unfolded at the 130th Boston Marathon, held on Patriots’ Day in Boston, and spread widely after race video and interviews circulated. (baa.org)
With about 300 meters left in the Boston Marathon, Aaron Beggs and Robson De Oliveira stopped racing and carried Ajay Haridasse to the finish. (apnews.com) (olympics.com) The moment came on Monday, April 20, during the 130th Boston Marathon, when Haridasse’s legs gave out on Boylston Street near the end of the course. He fell several times as runners streamed past. (baa.org) (rte.ie) Haridasse, a 21-year-old Massachusetts native running his first Boston, said his quadriceps “fully gave out” after the 26-mile mark. He told reporters he was close to crawling before Beggs reached him. (olympics.com) (people.com) Beggs, from Bangor in Northern Ireland, said he looked at his watch, looked back at Haridasse, and chose to stop. De Oliveira, a Brazilian runner, then joined in and helped support Haridasse the rest of the way. (abc.net.au) (rte.ie) Beggs said he had been chasing a personal best before he saw Haridasse collapse. RTÉ reported that he still finished in 2 hours and 44 minutes after helping. (apnews.com) (rte.ie) After the trio crossed together, Beggs called for wheelchair help because De Oliveira was in worse shape than Haridasse. Beggs said medical staff rushed past him and Haridasse to reach the Brazilian runner. (olympics.com) (rte.ie) Video of the finish spread across news outlets and social media in the days after the race. AP reported that spectator Pete Grasso recorded the moment as the crowd cheered the three runners home. (apnews.com) (abcnews.com) The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and is traditionally run on Patriots’ Day. This year’s race was the 130th edition, organized by the Boston Athletic Association. (baa.org) (boston.gov) Haridasse later said he was “shocked” that two strangers would stop so close to the line when they had their own times to protect. Beggs said the decision felt like “natural instinct.” (rte.ie) (apnews.com) By the end, the image that lasted from Boston was not a sprint clock or a winner’s tape, but three runners locked together over the final stretch. (people.com) (cbc.ca)
