A runner leading women in a marathon in Canada was greeted with celebration when she crossed the finish line, but not in the way she expected.
Rachel Hannah, a registered dietitian and marathon runner, was in the process of finishing the Ottawa Tamarack Marathon as the first woman on May 25 when a group of fans invaded the course with pink powder cannons and confetti.
In the video, Hannah is seen out of breath and trying her best to gather all her strength to run to the finish line.
As he approaches, two men carrying flare guns run to his side and set them off, sending plumes of pink smoke into his eyes.
A third thug ran in front of Hannah and fired a confetti cannon.
Rachel Hannah, a registered dietitian and marathon runner, was in the process of finishing the Ottawa Tamarack Marathon as the first woman on May 25 when a group of fans invaded the course with pink powder cannons and confetti.
In the video, Hannah is seen out of breath and trying her best to gather all her strength to run to the finish line.
Too tired to argue with the unwanted interference, Hannah continued running, keeping her eye on the prize.
She posted about her victory on Instagram, handling the mishap with grace and celebrating her victory.
‘Everyone who is at the starting line of a marathon is there for a reason. “We decided to sign up and commit to rigorous training for months of preparation, hoping to feel strong and confident on race day,” he wrote.
‘I wanted to get back into the Ottawa race weekend because it’s such a FUN race weekend.
‘One of the third graders asked the marathon panel on Friday if we had any fear standing at the starting line. I explained that while fear is a normal emotion, I try to turn it into excitement for racing and remind myself of the training I have done to prepare myself to reduce this feeling of fear.
“It’s inevitable that as the body fatigues during the race, thoughts of not being able to finish may creep in when race day feels harder than expected.”
As he approaches, two men carrying flare guns run to his side and activate them, plumes of pink smoke wafting into their eyes.
Although Hannah said her Ottawa Marathon time wasn’t her personal best, she’s still proud to have finished (in the first place, anyway).
‘This is what I experienced when I ran my slowest time in the marathon last Sunday. It is one of the races that I am most proud of because I did not give up when I wanted to. My legs were fine and I knew I could keep going if I could convince my mind to do so,’ he said.
He addressed the incident with the intruders and acknowledged that while crowd support is motivating, it also needs to be done safely.
‘In such a long race on open roads unexpected things can happen. The support and applause of the public makes a big difference in motivation for all of us.
‘But after being met with very enthusiastic cheers that caught me and many others off guard in the last km of the race; “I ask on behalf of the race organizers, volunteers, fellow runners and other spectators that we cheer safely and off the track,” he said.
While Hannah handled the situation like a champ, Reddit users were furious about the situation.
‘This is a failure of the people who manage the marathon,’ a user commented on the video.
A third thug ran in front of Hannah and fired a confetti cannon.
—Jesus, I’d be yelling at the officials later. You’re running out of fuel at the end of 26 miles, especially on a highway. “The race officials should have taken everyone who wasn’t running off the track and PERIOD,” another commented.
“Whose brilliant idea was it to blow confetti and smoke in the face of someone who just ran a fucking marathon like this? It’s seriously the dumbest thing I’ve seen today.” and I work in fast food,” chimed in a third.
DailyMail.com has contacted Hannah for comment.
