The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Man carried across finish line ‘feels a slight fraud’
Marathon: Runner’s joke after help
A runner who was carried across the London Marathon finish line has joked that he feels like a “slight fraud” and that he should give a piece of his medal to the Good Samaritan who helped him.
In a celebrated show of sportsmanship, David Wyeth, 35, was helped to the race finish line on Sunday by fellow competitor Matthew Rees, 29, who placed the flagging runner’s arms around him as he staggered through the last mile.
After the pair joked that Mr Wyeth completed the race one minute faster than Swansea man Mr Rees, the 35-year-old admitted he “didn’t know where I would be” without the younger man’s help.
The project manager said in an interview: “The time means absolutely nothing to me – I feel a slight fraud for having a medal around my neck.
“I should cut a little piece out because it belongs to Matthew.
“I really wouldn’t have got across the line – on my hands and knees, maybe, but the time meant nothing in the end because I know I wouldn’t have got there without Matthew putting his arm around me and carrying me over the line.”
As he spoke of the selfless moment, Mr Rees, an HSBC bank worker, said he feared he himself might not finish the race after battling issues with his calf muscles from nine miles in.
He said: “My moment with David was caught on camera, but I was helped along the course. I stopped a number of times to stretch out my calf.
“Other runners said, ‘I’ll slow down and go with you’ and I told them to go on.
“The last couple of miles the calf was really hurting me but the thought the finish line is close drives you on that little bit further.
“I was literally just about to get into my stride for the sprint finish – I’ve always got a little bit of a sprint finish left in me, then I saw David.
“The point I saw him, he was clearly struggling and his legs just went from underneath him and he fell to the ground.
“I went over and he said ‘I’ve got to finish’ and I said ‘you will’ and I helped him up.”
Mr Rees said Mr Wyeth encouraged him to go on, but he insisted on helping the 35-year-old to the finish line. “It was clear he wouldn’t be able to do this alone, so I thought ‘stick with him’ to make sure he did reach that finish line.”
“I feel a slight fraud for having a medal around my neck”