# London Marathon runner from Swansea stops for 'guy in need' **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 24, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174 "2017-04-24T22:54:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174/1 "2017-04-24T22:54:33Z")
[This BBC story](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-39686765) shows true sportsmanship. Well done, sir! > [@](#): > > Mr Rees said: "I came round the final corner and I saw a runner struggling, his legs were collapsing beneath him. Every time he tried to get up, he kept on falling back to the ground. > "I went over to him and said ‘come on, you can do this’ and tried to gee him up. > “But every time he tried to get up, I realised he wasn’t going to make it.” > So instead of continuing with his own run, Mr Rees helped his fellow racer to his feet and walked with him to the finish. > “I said 'come on - we can do this - we’ll do it together, we’ll cross the line together,” he added. And he still came in the top 1,000 (over 40,000 started). ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2017, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174/2 "2017-04-24T23:13:08Z")
If he’s from Swansea, then he was probably picking the other guy’s pockets all the way to the finish line. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174/3 "2017-04-25T01:37:26Z")
Here I was, wondering why someone from my town was running in London. The other Swansea - the bigger one in Wales. Not the one in Massachusetts. Makes way more sense now. Can’t say we’re known for our native distance runners. Or pickpockets. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174/4 "2017-04-25T01:56:08Z")
I feel really bad about saying this, but the runner who was struggling should have been taken off the course by officials and given medical attention way before Mr Rees came along. He looked dangerously unwell - possibly either hyperthermic or hyperhydrated. I applaud Mr Rees and his sportsmanship, but I think the marshals were negligent. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174/5 "2017-04-25T12:27:04Z")
In general, if the runner is coherent and refuses medical help, then the officials are not supposed to do anything. Technically, the guy receiving assistance should be disqualified, though I doubt that happened here. Not that I care one way or the other about it. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174/6 "2017-04-25T13:09:16Z")
Any relation to [John Landy?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LZK5YbJkYQ) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174/7 "2017-04-25T14:44:20Z")
It’s not that uncommon - [Watch Servicemen, Fellow Runners Carry Man Across Boston Marathon Finish Line - NESN.com](http://nesn.com/2017/04/watch-servicemen-fellow-runners-carry-man-across-boston-marathon-finish-line/) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174/8 "2017-04-25T14:49:50Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > If he’s from Swansea, then he was probably picking the other guy’s pockets all the way to the finish line. _rimshot_ ---
**Author:** ![Mavic\_Chen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mavic\_Chen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mavic_Chen)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174/9 "2017-04-25T16:17:11Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > If he’s from Swansea, then he was probably picking the other guy’s pockets all the way to the finish line. Don’t get this, is this mean stereotypical sentiment really needed? ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-marathon-runner-from-swansea-stops-for-guy-in-need/785174/10 "2017-04-25T17:04:51Z")
> [@Mavic\_Chen](#): > > Don’t get this, is this mean stereotypical sentiment really needed? :shrug: Defensiveness I suppose. As a Welsh man living in England for decades I feel compelled to get the first joke in.