High School Runner Carries Injured Rival Across Finish Line [VIDEO]


Ohio high school runner Meghan Vogel is certainly receiving praise for her 1st place finish in the 1600 meter race, but it’s her dead-last finish in the 3,200 meter final that is receiving the most attention.

Vogel, a junior runner for West Liberty-Salem High School (West Liberty, Ohio) was on cloud nine after her 1st place finish in the 1,600 meter race from earlier in the day. Not holding anything back, Vogel was able to finish the race ahead of the pack and receive the honors as the first person to accomplish the feat for her high school in over 20 years.

ESPN reports that when it came time for her second race in the 3,200 meter competition, Vogel was past exhaustion and in no shape to win the next race.

And that’s when it all happened.

Trailing her closest competitor by about 50 meters, Vogel looked ahead and saw fellow runner Arden McMath collapse and hit the track. However, rather than skirt by the injured runner Vogel stopped, helped McMath to her feet and began to carry her towards the finish line.

“I just couldn’t believe she’d done that for me,” McMath told the Dayton Daily News. “We’re all in it together as distance runners. Everyone is trying to do their best. It’s a lot harder on your body than a lot of the other races.”

Vogel echoed McMath’s sentiments saying that “if you work to get to the state meet, you deserve to finish no matter who you are. I was going to make that happen for her no matter what.”

McMath officially finished the race in 14th place, just one ahead of Meghan Vogel in 15th place.

“Any girl on the track would have done the same for me” said Vogel.

With an act of kindness as grand as this, it’s not surprising that Meghan Vogel is receiving this much attention. However, to her is just doesn’t make sense.

“It’s been crazy. I can’t understand why everyone wants to talk to me, but I guess I’m getting used to it now,” she said.

“It’s strange to have people telling me that this was such a powerful act of kindness and using words like ‘humanity.’ It’s weird. When I hear words like that I think of Harriet Tubman and saving people’s lives. I don’t consider myself a hero. I just did what I knew was right and what I was supposed to do.”

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