Ever been nearly killed while running?

I've had a similar incident, not while running, but just coming out of a 7-11 in BANGKOK in 1999.

In Bangkok the streets and sidewalks are a bit narrow in places and it was nighttime, I was probably tired from training, but I stepped to the curb and was going to cross the street without looking both ways (jaywalking on a 2 lane street) and I hestitated unconciously. Just as I hestitated, a taxi went whizzing by, and it would have hit me if I would have continued on my merry way.

The only thing that I could think of, that made me hesitate and not cross the street and get hit by the taxi was THE HAND OF GOD.

jason

Not a near death encounter, but I did get the finger by an ice cream man while running at a local park.

Here is a recent accident. This driver may not have been drunk this time, but his previous 3 DWI's show he obviously does not care enough about human life to take his driving responsibility seriously.

twice a runner.....I would have flashed the cops my skinny, hairy bare ass.

Never, never, never pass in front of a car that is pulling out of a driveway, parking lot or from another street. Even though you are on the side walk, RUN BEHIND the car because the likelihood of he or she backing up into you is far less than them not seeing you and hitting the gas in an attempt to pull out into traffic with you right in front of it.

A car going 50 went flying by me, i was hit slightly by the mirror, i just kept running. my team seemed pretty worried though...i was no longer allowed to cross the road on my own.

I got hit by a car about 6 months back. He was making a right turn, looking only left, I was passing front of him coming from his right. He hit the gas, and I bounced off of his hood and landed on my feet unscathed. He was more wrecked about than I was. He was jittery as hell.

A closer encounter with mortal danger came about 2 months ago in Daley Ranch (which is on fire right now). It was dusk and I was leaving the park and I just happened to look down as my foot was going to land on a rattlesnake. I leaped into the air triple jump style and hurdled over him. I paid close attention to the ground from there on.

I stepped in dog poop last winter. Big f'ing turds! Wiped it off my shoes with a handful of leaves. A small amount of poo must have gotten on my gloves. At some point during the run I musta wiped my eyes or something. Got a nasty infection...bacterial something or another. Nearly died. Not as sexy as a hit-and-run, but you asked.

I agree with ears. Never go in front of a car pulling out. I had one of my runners find out the hard way. She thought she had eye contact with the driver so she went in front and the next thing you know she's flipping off the hood.

Now the woman puts the girl in her car, drives her back to school, and drops her on the sidewalk - and the girl can't even walk!!

Thankfully it was just a deep bruise down to the femur but she got over it. She never trusts drivers anymore. That's a good instinct.

Twice. Once at Falmouth, once at the Boston Marathon. Had the last rites read to me one of those times I think. Temperature plummeted to about 88 at Boston, went up to 107 at Falmouth. Yeah, almost killed myself.

Oh wait, I thought you meant ever been nearly killed while running due to pushing yourself too hard....is that what you meant?

Al

I've had so many near-disastrous encounters with cars that I now absolutely refuse to live anywhere without easy/safe access to running trails/paths. Realtors always think I'm nuts.

I have personally been hit two times by cars pulling out into the street. I live in a pretty big town so running behind the first car will sometimes get you hit by the second. Your in danger no matter what you do. Pedestrians get no rights anymore.

I had a couple of teamates get hit by a car on a crosswalk. It was a small car and one of the runners went up on the hood and broke the windshield. The cop that showed up chewed the runners out for being in the street even though they swore that the person in the car had a red light, and it gets better. Later that day one of the runners got a call from the driver saying that she expected him to pay for the damages to the car.

I thank god that it wasn't a suburban tank, because if it had been, then the world of running would be without two of its own.

I was running down a country road and was attacked my two mid-sized dogs. I didn't have anything in the way of an escape route. Fortunately, a truck came driving through, and I threw myself in the bed. I had to go back the next day and find their owners to make sure that the damn things didn't have rabies.

Riding a bike down a busy city street when a car door opens in front of me. My right shin hits the bottom "V" of the door (LOUD sound), I flip up over the bike and crash on my right side and head (helmet, thank God). Time really slows down, and you pay attention to the most mundane things - I vividly remember seeing the front wheel of the bike spinning as a car screeeeeeeeches to a halt inches away from my face. I think I set a land speed record for one-legged hopping to the curb! I wound up with a half-dollar sized puncture in my lower leg just missing the shin. Lost some sensation in my lower leg and foot, some of which eventually came back.

Other time, I was driving home late afternoon from a 4th of July party. I was at an intersection where the main road I was on T's into another major 4-lane route. There's a long hill on the 4-lane to my left with limited visibility from where I am, first in line at the stop light. The light turns green and I start to step on the gas but then, for some odd reason, I pull my foot back.... right as a car comes barrelling through the intersection at 50mph. It's really true, your hands shake uncontrolably when you've been scared witless.

I HAVE ALL OF YOU BEAT:

On a run, a Ford F150 truck pulled out of a parking lot, even though he looked my way as I was running across.

I actually had to run backwards when he completed his turn, but he still made contact with me. My arms were extended out (like a stand-up push-up), with my hands on the front of his truck. With my hands on the front of his truck, he was driving forwards, while I was running backwards. He finally saw me before hitting 2nd gear and stopped.

The story I am about to tell is truth. No lie. please leave the message board at this time if you are easily shocked. One day as I was loping along on my run, I came up to a set of train tracks. as I was closing in i heard the ominous ding ding ding. I sprinted as hard as I could but it was very obvious that I would not make it past. So disgruntled, I stopped my watch and patiently waited. AFter five minutes, I was tempted to just turn around and go back when it stopped. Here was my opportunity. I got down on all fours and crawled under the train i was right under the train when i heard the wheels screech back into gear. mind you this was all happening in the span of a few seconds. I quickly rolled out from under the train just in time, but felt something tug on my foot. I looked down at my foot, and there was no..........

shoe. I laughed hysterically because I am just kind of weird that way.

A former girlfriend of mine was killed 3 years ago when she stopped to tie her shoe on a 2 lane state route. The high school kid who hit and killed her instantly said he ran off the road because he was messing with the stereo. Funny that it happened at the exact spot where she was. My contention is that he was playing chicken with her. She lost!

I have always wanted to meet one of those people that goes under a train when it is stopped. I have met a few idiots in my day, but you guys are the kings of idiots.

You play Russian roullette too don't you???

A similar thing such as your F-150 story happened to me. I also was almost hit three times on one run. I never ran that course again. Drivers don't account for any pedestrian that is moving under 6 minute pace. I have been nearly hit over 15 times in my life. Just when you think you have a safe game plan, an idiot driver proves you wrong. Avoid the streets and you have rattlesnakes and loose dogs to worry about. Run on the streets and you have cars to worry about. Running should be as safe a sport as there is, but it is not.