“The last two kilometers, I don’t remember,” said Hyvon Ngetich, an elite female marathon runner from Kenya. She had led the February 15 Austin Marathon for 26 miles; then the wheels came off. Ngetich collapsed at the last turn in the chute, approximately 400 meters from the finish line.
Seton Healthcare Family, an Ascension ministry, and Conley Sports had located spotters at various points along the last mile of the half marathon and full marathon courses. The spotter radioed the down runner’s location and condition to medical personnel in the event’s command center, as well as to the “Go Team” at the finish line. The Go Team is a group of Seton medical professionals who can quickly respond to runner needs in the last quarter-mile of the race.
Gidge Lukes and Jennifer Heineman of the Go Team raced to the runner with a wheelchair. By this time Ngetich, still conscious, lifted herself from the pavement and started crawling toward the finish line. On hands and knees and at times on elbows and knees, Ngetich made her way south on Congress Avenue still in second place.
As the clock ticked toward the three-hour mark, Ngetich waved off attempts from the Seton Go Team to render aid and kept crawling, head down, for a finish line that seemed far in the distance. Several hundred cheering spectators were only feet from the crawling runner and yelled for her to keep going. The announcers noticed what was happening and directed several hundred more spectators to cheer her to the finish.
CBS Evening News reported the finish was “being called one of the bravest moments in marathon history.” In the video you can witness every agonizing moment the runner went through.
With race director John Conley’s encouragement, Ngetich lifted her energy-spent frame off the asphalt, got her feet under her and allowed a medical team member on either side to carry her the last few feet over the finish line. At this point Vince Pena, another Go Team member, arrived to help.
“I marveled at what a difference only two strides made between second place on your feet and third place on your knees,” said Conley. “For those who were privileged to witness Hannah Stephan redeem herself from last year’s disqualification by striding into second place, three meters from the tape and two steps ahead of a completely depleted but relentless Hyvon Ngetich, who crawled the final 400 feet to the Marathon finish line, you will never, ever doubt the power of sheer inner strength to overcome any obstacle.”
In a personal email to Seton and other race partners, Conley wrote, “I am always reminded that you guys are the reason this race has become a mighty race and that people like Hyvon Ngetich will literally crawl to the finish line on knees and elbows to bear witness to your efforts.”
Seton Healthcare Family was the event’s medical sponsor for the 13th year in a row. It’s the longest, continuous sponsorship of the race. And Seton recently renewed its medical sponsorship of the race for three more years.
Seton provided more than 200 associates, as staff and volunteers, for the race. Many were in the medical tent, located 100 feet from the finish line. Throughout the race course, Seton provided medical support at aid stations, combining efforts with Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) staff on bikes, Polaris four-wheel drive vehicles and ambulances.
“I am very proud of the medical care that ATCEMS and the Seton staff gave at the Austin Marathon,” said Shirley Borgmann, Emergency Department special events manager and medical support manager of the Austin Marathon. “The team captains – Sherri Inman, Brittney Hock, Chris Puglia and Sherrie Maturo – did an amazing job and I am honored to work with such professionals, but my special thanks goes out to Jennifer Heineman for fighting her instincts to assist Hyvon. They did a great job cheering her on!”
Recently, Ngetich returned to Seton Medical Center where she thanked the nurses for their care. Watch the video on YouTube.
