Download our Free 8-Week Plan here →

Marathon Runner Finds Lost Puppy Mid-Way Through Race (video)

July 17, 2024
By

Khemjira Klongsanun is a woman from Bangkok, Thailand, passionate about running. Despite her love for participating in competitions, she understands that some things are more important than setting a new record time.

During the local marathon she was participating in, held in 2019, something unusual caught her attention.

The race was a total of 26 miles (42 kilometers), but around the 7th mile, she saw a tiny puppy without an owner or mother in sight, on the side of the road.

During such an important competition, it would be natural to think she would decide to continue running, yet she couldn't leave the poor puppy alone and made the decision to briefly suspend the race.

She stopped and picked up the defenseless puppy in her arms, but that’s not all; she decided to do much more.

For the next 19 miles, Klongsanun chose to carry the puppy with her throughout the entire marathon.

She could have handed it over to a spectator or one of the officials in charge of the race, yet she decided not to and carried it with her, crossing the finish line together.

It seems like the happy ending concluded with this gesture, but at the end of the race, Klongsanun decided to take the puppy home to make it a part of her family.

Once home, she took the puppy, which she nicknamed Nong Chom, to the vet, and later introduced it to her family's other dogs.

Photo: Polsin Sinsamoe / Facebook

The puppy, initially a solitary stray, quickly adapted to her family and its other members and now lives surrounded by love.

Following the incident, Klongsanun and Nong Chom returned to the area where the puppy was found, searching for its siblings or parents to help them.

However, it appeared that the puppy was there alone, as there were no traces of other puppies in the area.

There are countless stories of how the lives of stray dogs, once rescued, have significantly improved, but few have such a curious and fascinating tale behind them as Nong Chom's.

And although it’s impossible to say how much extra time Klongsanun spent during the marathon to stop and rescue the puppy, these details are irrelevant in the face of the new, love-filled life that has been destined for both of them!

Congratulations to Khemjira Klongsanun!

You Might Also Like

Kenya’s Kennedy Kimutai Wins 2026 Paris Half Marathon as 50,000 Runners Fill the Streets

Paris welcomed 50,000 runners for the 2026 Paris Half Marathon, with Kennedy Kimutai and Ftaw Zeray taking the wins as crowds cheered along the Seine and through the Bois de Vincennes.

LA Marathon Allows Runners to Finish at 18 Miles Due to Heat Forecast

Los Angeles Marathon organizers are adding a heat-safety option: if race-day temperatures climb too high, runners may stop just after mile 18 and still receive a finisher medal. With forecasts rising from 12–13°C at the 7 a.m. start to 25–27°C by midday, the McCourt Foundation says the goal is preventing dangerous heat illness.

Jacob Kiplimo Sets New Half Marathon World Record with 57:20 in Lisbon

Jacob Kiplimo just rewrote the half-marathon record books in Lisbon, storming to a 57:20 victory without pacemakers, outkicking Nicholas Kipkorir late as Tsigie Gebreselama defended her women’s title in dominant fashion.

Study Finds Vitamin D Helps Maintain Immune Health, but Does Not Improve Running Performance

Vitamin D can help runners hold onto healthy levels through the dark winter months, and may support immune markers, but this new study found it doesn’t translate into better performance like VO₂max, power, or strength.

On Introduces Laceless Running Shoe Made by Robots in New South Korea Factory

On Running’s new LightSpray laceless shoe uses 32 robots to spray a seamless upper in just three minutes, cutting development from 18–24 months to as little as 3–4 and hinting at a faster, more automated future for running footwear.

6 Running Memoirs That Will Change How You Think About Every Mile

A finish line is never just a finish line. These unforgettable running memoirs prove the sport is about endurance, identity, and what you learn when the miles get long, quiet, and deeply personal.