In the video, runner Ajay Haridasse can be seen falling to the ground as others pass him by – in another angle of the incident, Haridasse can be seen falling four times.
But Beggs then comes along and pulls Haridasse to his feet.
Haridasse struggles still, and fellow runner Robson De Oliveria then helps to steady Haridasse.
Beggs and De Oliveria, both of whom were on course to record personal bests, then carry Haridasse over the finish line.
Beggs runs with North Down Athletic Club and in a post on social media, it described their runner as a “phenomenal sportsman”.
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“Our superstar on the finishing straight at Boston Marathon to a time of 2hr44 couldn’t pass an athlete in distress,” said North Down AC. “What a gentleman!”
Beggs was the club’s first finisher at the Boston Marathon, narrowly missing a personal best time after he added on extra seconds to help the exhausted Haridasse over the final 200 metre stretch.
“When I entered the final stretch of the marathon, I was just a few meters away from achieving my personal best, but in the distance I saw Ajay Haridasse collapsing.
“I knew I wouldn’t have the strength to help him on my own.
“In that moment, I thought, ‘God, if someone stops, I’ll stop too and help him.’
“And God was so generous to us that Aaron Beggs stopped, and I knew I could help, because two are stronger than one.
“I’m grateful to God for the strength He gave us in that moment, and that Haridasse didn’t give up.
“My friend, you were incredibly strong! Congratulations on the race – this is the spirit of Boston!”
In a reply to De Oliveria’s Instagram post, Beggs praised him for his “selfless commitment to put others before yourself”.
Beggs added: “And the fact not many people realise you gave everything to help and ended up in a worse state than the guy we helped. True star.”
De Oliveria ended up in a medical tent after the race but said he will return next year with the aim of breaking the 2:40 barrier.
Meanwhile, Haridasse told the Boston Herald that he was “ready to crawl” before Beggs stepped in to help.
Without his help, Haridasse would not have qualified for next year’s Boston Marathon.
He told the Boston Herald it was the “greatest experience ever” and that he will definitely run the Boston Marathon again next year.
Written by Diarmuid Pepper and posted on TheJournal.ie
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Co Down ‘gentleman’ stops in his tracks to help exhausted runner cross Boston Marathon finish line
A CO DOWN man missed out on a personal best to help an exhausted runner cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon.
The act of altruism by Aaron Beggs has gone viral online.
In the video, runner Ajay Haridasse can be seen falling to the ground as others pass him by – in another angle of the incident, Haridasse can be seen falling four times.
But Beggs then comes along and pulls Haridasse to his feet.
Haridasse struggles still, and fellow runner Robson De Oliveria then helps to steady Haridasse.
Beggs and De Oliveria, both of whom were on course to record personal bests, then carry Haridasse over the finish line.
Beggs runs with North Down Athletic Club and in a post on social media, it described their runner as a “phenomenal sportsman”.
“Our superstar on the finishing straight at Boston Marathon to a time of 2hr44 couldn’t pass an athlete in distress,” said North Down AC. “What a gentleman!”
Beggs was the club’s first finisher at the Boston Marathon, narrowly missing a personal best time after he added on extra seconds to help the exhausted Haridasse over the final 200 metre stretch.
Beggs finished with a time of 2:44:36.
In a post to Instagram, De Oliveria remarked that it was a “split-second decision”.
“When I entered the final stretch of the marathon, I was just a few meters away from achieving my personal best, but in the distance I saw Ajay Haridasse collapsing.
“I knew I wouldn’t have the strength to help him on my own.
“In that moment, I thought, ‘God, if someone stops, I’ll stop too and help him.’
“And God was so generous to us that Aaron Beggs stopped, and I knew I could help, because two are stronger than one.
“I’m grateful to God for the strength He gave us in that moment, and that Haridasse didn’t give up.
“My friend, you were incredibly strong! Congratulations on the race – this is the spirit of Boston!”
In a reply to De Oliveria’s Instagram post, Beggs praised him for his “selfless commitment to put others before yourself”.
Beggs added: “And the fact not many people realise you gave everything to help and ended up in a worse state than the guy we helped. True star.”
De Oliveria ended up in a medical tent after the race but said he will return next year with the aim of breaking the 2:40 barrier.
Meanwhile, Haridasse told the Boston Herald that he was “ready to crawl” before Beggs stepped in to help.
Without his help, Haridasse would not have qualified for next year’s Boston Marathon.
He told the Boston Herald it was the “greatest experience ever” and that he will definitely run the Boston Marathon again next year.
Written by Diarmuid Pepper and posted on TheJournal.ie
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Aaron Beggs Boston Boston Marathon Down Marathon North Down AC North Down Athletic Club Personal Best