The last couple of weeks have been filled with moments of inspiration in the running community.
In the comedown from Dublin Marathon and The New York City Marathon, there have been many stories shared about the mental grit and determination required to get to the finish line of a race. Each runner has their own motivating factors and, be it for personal satisfaction, a worthy cause, or an endless number of reasons, running events are filled with a plethora of emotions.
Many people joke about getting to the finish line by hook or by crook, even if they have to crawl – and that’s exactly what 19 year old Rei Iida did in an incredible show of willpower.
Rei Iida has gone viral for her determination after she suffered a leg fracture during her stint of the 26.2km Princess Ekiden relay marathon in Japan.
A Japanese runner who broke her leg during a relay race. She crawled to her partner so the team would be able to continue the race. Lets share her story with the world. pic.twitter.com/NNiSL9Q64F
— Kevin W (@kwilli1046) November 11, 2018
Iida was left unable to run or walk from the pain caused by her injury, but she didn’t let that stop her. In an act of pure perseverance, Iida dropped to the ground and crawled over 200 metres to pass the baton to her teammate.
Iida’s hands and knees were left bleeding, and she later was told that she had been crawling with a fractured tibia in her right leg. Her overall recovery is expected to take at least four months.
While most of the comments and tweets around the story are praising her determination, others criticised the event:
How about we start by realising this episode shows the complete & systematic abdication of duty of care rather than pretending it’s just a profile in individual courage.
The leg is broken.
Everyone should have realised the race isn’t that bloody important & stopped it. https://t.co/yt7J42ltLQ— John Amaechi OBE (@JohnAmaechi) November 11, 2018
Iida was approached by officials but refused to stop, insisting on finishing the race. Anyone who has ever trained for a race understands the time and commitment it takes, and can relate to the disappointment of having an injury hold you back from your goal.
Regardless of whether the action was right or wrong, the strength and determination of Iida was commendable.
When you’re in the last legs of your race and the dreaded wall is looming, grit your teeth, think of Iida and keep going no matter what – you might end up as somebody else’s inspiration.
