Sport
  1. Home
  2. Sport
  3. Athletics
Save
Print
License article

London Marathon 'hero' Matthew Rees praised for stopping to help stricken runner finish

Megan Levy
Show comments

A runner competing in the London Marathon has been praised for sacrificing his own race time to help another exhausted competitor over the finishing line in what has been described as the ultimate act of sportsmanship.

Matthew Rees, 29, was within 200 metres of finishing the gruelling 42.19-kilometre race on Sunday, local time, when he saw another runner, who was clearly in trouble, stumbling across the road and on the verge of collapsing.

Up Next

Missing trekker found alive on Nepal mountain

null
Video duration
00:44

More World News Videos

null
Video duration
00:56

Thousands praise London Marathon 'hero'
null
Video duration
00:44

Missing trekker found alive on Nepal ...
null
Video duration
01:08

Wildflowers visible from space
null
Video duration
01:39

China vs US: a new space race?
null
Video duration
00:56

Trump has 'no intention' of releasing tax ...
null
Video duration
02:02

Trump tax plan cuts top rate to 35 per ...
null
Video duration
01:32

Tough times for Emmanuel Macron
More videos

Thousands praise London Marathon 'hero'

Matthew Rees stopped before the London Marathon finish line to help a physically exhausted fellow runner complete the race.

So concerned was Rees, a Swansea Harriers running club member, that he immediately stopped and put his arm around the stricken runner, later identified as David Wyeth of Chorlton Runners.

Images of Rees and a race official helping Wyeth across the finishing line outside Buckingham Palace were broadcast live on television in an incredible moment that marathon organisers said encapsulated the spirit of the race.

Related Content

"It never ever fails to inspire you," one commentator said, as the cameras followed the men across the finishing line.

Prince Harry, who was standing not far from the finishing line with Prince William and Kate, applauded the men as they passed.

Advertisement

The moment has been compared to the now famous images of triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee helping his stricken brother Jonny across the finishing line in the dramatic finale of the World Triathlon Series in Cozumel, Mexico, last year.

Rees, who works in a bank, told the Press Association after the race that he had rounded the final corner in the marathon thinking: "Right, it's nearly done, time to sprint." Then he said he saw Wyeth, whom he did not know, nearly collapse onto the road.

"I saw him try to stand up again and his legs just went down again, and I thought 'This is more important, getting him across the line is more important than shaving a few seconds off my time,' " he said.

"I went over to try and help him and every time he tried to get up he just fell down again and again, so I just tried to cheer him on, picked him up and said: 'Come on, we can do this.'"

Rees was shown in the footage pointing towards the finishing line, encouraging Wyeth.

"He was really grateful, but he wasn't very coherent. He was just like 'I have to finish, I have to finish' and I said 'You will finish, you will get there, come on let's do this' but every time he tried to move he would just fall again so it was important to guide him."

Rees said he had suffered a cramp in his calf early in the race, so his aim was just to finish the race.

"I wanted just to get to the finishing line and that's all he [Wyeth] wanted - so we could just do it together," he said.

"We've got the exact same emotions but in different ways - he can't walk and I have just had an awful race, I just want to get to the finish line and so does he.

"This is what the marathon is about - it's about people, it's for everyone. Moments like this make it worth it. I'm just glad he's OK."

Wyeth received immediate medical attention from London paramedics before being taking away for further treatment. His condition was not known.

Rees was hailed as a hero on social media for his selfless gesture.

More than 40,000 runners took part in the London Marathon. Mary Keitany of Kenya broke Paula Radcliffe's 2005 world record, winning with a time of 2:17:01. Her time beat Radcliffe's by 41 seconds.

Daniel Wanjiru, also of Kenya, was the men's winner in 2:05:56, holding off Kenenisa Bekele (2:05:57) of Ethiopia.

0 comments