Global Courant
It was a sprint to glory for runners at a half marathon in eastern China.
But for one security guard there it was a sprint to save an unwell competitor who fell to the ground just before finishing the race.
The runner was making her final push at the 21-kilometer half marathon in Yucheng County, Shandong Province on September 24 when she was suddenly struck by a seizure just meters from the finish line.
In videos taken by spectators that have gone viral, a security guard can be seen rushing across the finish line towards the woman as she steps back uncontrollably with her arms outstretched to her sides.
Another guard jumps over a barricade to control the crowd to reach the woman who loses her balance.
The first guard manages to catch her in his arms before she falls to the ground. He almost loses his balance, but manages to steady himself while pressing the ground with one hand.
Medics arrive to help the woman and take her into an ambulance.
The organizer later said the runner had a seizure because she overexerted herself while trying to make a final sprint as she neared the finish line. It added that she was able to walk normally after a short period of rest.
Praise poured in for the first guard to reach the woman for protecting her from injury. He later identified himself as a retired soldier.
“The way he keeps his body steady with just one hand on the ground is so cool,” one netizen wrote on Weibo, suggesting that America’s Marvel comic superheroes paled in comparison. “This is a real man.”
Another said: “Everyone was so full of love. They immediately noticed the woman’s condition.”
