BC Cross Country Runner Grateful For Opponents Carrying Her Over Finish Line
CARY, N.C. (CBS) – A Boston College cross country runner struggling mightily to finish her conference championship race received a boost from an unexpected source – her opponents.
Just about 20 yards from the finish line during the ACC women's cross country championship on Friday, Boston College's Madeline Adams fell to the ground and struggled to get back to her feet.
Before the race, Adams said she was feeling on top of her game.
"I was feeling great, I was ready to rumble," Adams said. "I felt like this was my time to shine."
Headed toward the finish line, Adams was set to run her best race, scoring for her team.
"I was running the race of my life. I was doing incredibly well," Adams said. That's when things turned. "I was coming up that hill (to the finish line), I started to feel really fatigued," Adams continued. "All of a sudden, I get this wave that comes over me and my legs just truly gave out from underneath me. I had no control. I really don't remember falling, I remember being on the ground and being like, 'why am I on the ground? Get up.'"
With competitors streaming toward the finish line, Clemson's Evie Tate and Louisville's Rachel Pease went out of their way to pick Adams off the ground and help her finish the race.
All of the action was captured on the ACC Network's broadcast of the race.
The video has been viewed on Facebook more than 1 million times.
It's proof of Tate and Pease's goodwill, Adams said.
"The great part that comes out of this is there are two amazing girls that helped me, who are completely selfless and just amazing people with amazing character," Adams said.
Even though she was disqualified, Adams said she's not upset with her performance.
"I knew I had run the hardest race of my life," she said.
