padova marathon this is wrong .

Was the guy on the bike his agent who screams FINISH FINISH?

Had initial mixed feelings because usually finishes like that are inspiring (e.g. Julie Moss Ironman) but in this case it did seem like he didn't want to/couldn't.

Apparently Kenya is outraged and will pursue his agent and the race organizers.

Very sad. These Kenyans don't have it easy. They run to make a living and provide for their family, and am sure their managers/sponsors arent the kindest souls.

very sad indeed, this guy should have been helped into a medical facility at the 1st sign of trouble. RIP Magut

Nobody died, and Eliud Magut conditions was not so dangerous.

This is a note from Padova marathon organization:

http://maratonasantantonio.it/?p=6395

A brief translation:

"As you can see from the video, as soon as he showed signs of crisis, the athlete was immediately joined by a volunteer. The volunteer was ready to help Magut and has repeatedly asked to stop. The moment has alerted health care, it is adopted in a timely manner with an ambulance in which there was an intensivist. Magut wanted to continue even after being rescued after the last fall, but the health care, as required by regulation IAAF, prevented him from continuing. Taken to the hospital for investigation of Padua, Magut was discharged at 16 with a diagnosis of hypoglicemic crisis and dehydration. The athlete is returned to the hotel in the afternoon and already, demonstrating the newfound best condition, he dined regularly "

Don't be worry or sad for Magut!

Another case of dishonesty. Hosea Kiplagat is trying to be politically correct. This is what Marathon running is all about - you keep going. You fall down, you freaking get up. Two weeks ago, a runner was carried by fellow runners across the Boston marathon Finnish line. Note the following: 1. Nobody is forcing the runner to run. He has made his choice as an adult to run in this gruesome, death-defying sport 2. He is ahead of all other runners in the race, so he probably knows what he is doing and is the strongest. 3. If he can fall and get up, he is still strong enough to continue. 4. There is no such thing as 'completely collapse' as Wahiga Mwaura says. That's just being dramatic. You either collapse or you dont. 5. Marathoners cardinal rule: unless you puke, or pass out or die, you freaking keep going. 6. He is a Kenyan. Wazungus believe we are freaks of nature and can do the impossible. Including collapsing, getting up and winning. 7. He is neither the first nor the last to collapse near the finnish line in a marathon. Happens all the time. 8. This is just a lesson for him and his agent. Next time he will distribute his energy more sensibly across the 42K. 9. The bystanders are telling him to finnish. Good. They understand what its all about. They understand it takes everything. When your body fails and your mind shuts down, you run or crawl with your heart. Ordinary people would want him to give up. They dont understand that giving up is not an option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqBerM9FPwA

That is called "hitting the wall".

Good to see he's okay! Do you know by chance how close he was to the finish? if he was in 1st place? and what time he was on pace for before the incident?

Sad wrote:These Kenyans don't have it easy. They run to make a living and provide for their family, and am sure their managers/sponsors arent the kindest souls.

What makes it even sadder are the tools in this country who resent the fact Kenyans come here to make a living doing what they do best, in a decreasing number of races offering enough money to even make it worth running in.

Magut was trying to keep the 3rd position (unfortunately only 600 euros, but should had some appearence since he was the only 2:10' guy invited by organizers) but got caught by Mella, an italian non professional runner who ended in 2:26'. Very disturbing video for sure, despite marathon is hard and everybody (even kenyans!) can finish the fuel. Hope he will come back and win Padova marathon in 2015!

... it's just sports. It's not actually supposed to be life and death. Don't take it so seriously.

He was 3rd. He stopped the first time at km 41, with just a mine to finish!

He had nearly 10 minutes advantage over the forth, an italian runner who finished in 2h26'

Bye

They didn't even give him some water - basic stuff, poor effort from the marshals.

Damn, talk about hitting the wall. He hit the freaking wall of China.

Medical should have intervened not when he started stumbling, but definitely when he crashed through the fence (clearly out of control and unsafe).

Easy call.

I don't know what to think about this one. Yes it looks horrific but think about it for a minute.

I do know one thing. I certainly recognized a dichotomy in the fact that our nightly editor put this video up under the title "Disturbing" then on the next column over, he has a story he titles "Gutsy" about a Canadian women finishing a marathon on a fractured femur.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/amateur/2014/04/28/gutsy_runner_completes_halfmarathon_with_broken_leg.html#

It's basically the same action except one made the finish line and one didn't. And yet one is praised as honorable and one is praised as awful.

Is the difference is whether it's voluntary or not? If the runner in ITaly is being forced to do it, then it's totally wrong. But if he's liking the encouragement and wants the money, I don't see how it's much different than the Canadian situation. (I want to know who the person is next to him)

Many would argue neither one should be 'allowed' but human desire is hard to stop. If they stopped the Canadian, she'd be really upset. If the Kenyan guy had made the finish line and gotten paid, he'd be happy. He'd be irate if they stopped him.

At some level, a judgement has to be made.

It's easy to say now, "Oh that's awful, but it's hard to do at the time in the heat of competition."

I agree in sport you go out and compete very hard to the best of your ability. But it shouldn't be life and death. Health and safety are still the priority. That's why later down the road if I have a son I'll make sure to never let him go out for a sport like football.

Abro wrote:

He was 3rd. He stopped the first time at km 41, with just a mine to finish!

He had nearly 10 minutes advantage over the forth, an italian runner who finished in 2h26'

Bye

Oh man that's rough. Hopefully he comes back better hydrated and very fit next year and manages to win. I can only imagine how emotional it'd be for him if he were to win it next year.

It's great to hear Magut is okay. one thing I know he was trying to be a man and get the third prize money .but It almost turned tragic.

I don't know, rojo.

We all know that there is some point at which it becomes unethical not to interfere (to stop the athlete and/or provide medical assistance).

As a doctor in the ER (or finish tent), if someone is mildly dehydrated and I suggest an IV, they can freely say "no" and walk way IF they are capable of making that decision.

There is a strong argument that someone who is stumbling through fences is no longer making capable of making decisions in his own best interest and should be interfered with. If someone came into my ER in that condition, I wouldn't ask if he wanted hydration and glucose, I'd be telling him what was going to happen.

All that said, it is a tough world for this caliber of athlete from Kenya, and walking it in could have been the difference between going home with 600 euros (a LOT in Kenya) and empty-handed/poor.

I don't think the athlete made a bad decision to continue until collapse. I would, too. But I would hope a medical official would stop me before I hit pavement, and they should have here.

As well as the prize money, D-list Kenyan runners have to contend with the fact that a "DNF" on the resume can be the difference between getting invited/comped to these races or not.

If you are the RD of a smaller event like this and picking from dozens of 2:10 guys, you pick the one who's known to finish. Guaranteed Magut gets invited back to a hero's welcome after this.

If he DNFd at 23 miles, nobody would know who he was except the RD, to whom he would be persona non grata.

Doesn't change my mind about what the officials should have done, but the DNF-or-not equation is SO different than for US/Euro runners of the same ability.