Here's a question for you: If a runner sees a runner in front of him fall in the last mile of a marathon, should he stop to help him, even if it means he may not set a PR and may not qualify for Boston? As you might suspect this is not just a hypothetical.
I've been trying to qualify for Boston for several years. My PR until this year was 3:11:15. This year, I went through the 25 mile mark at a spring marathon in just over 3:02. About a minute later, a runner fell about 75 yards ahead of me. At least two spectators immediately moved to offer assistance. I, on the other hand, decided to just keep on going.
Did I do wrong?