Unparalleled Sportsmanship: Teen Helps Collapsed Woman Win Marathon

December 13, 2017

teen helps woman win marathon

Chandler Self, 32, was yards away from winning the Dallas Marathon when her legs suddenly gave out.

17-year-old Ariana Luterman, who was right behind Self, picked her up and helped her across the finish line.

Luterman helped Self get back on her feet several times over the final 200 yards.

"I even tried to push her away, but her heart was overcome with kindness and compassion for me that I think she was like, 'I gotta help her,'" Chandler recalled.

Dallas Marathon executive director Marcus Grunewald said runners cannot receive any third-party assistance from a spectator, a race official or medical staff or anyone outside the race, but "another participant is a gray zone."

"In this situation, the executive race committee got together and reviewed the results and are deeming [Self] the female marathon winner," Grunewald said. "We've looked at the distance between her and the following four finishers. Even if she hadn't had assistance, she still would have gotten first."

Watch the video below.