Cocky Runner Almost Loses Ironman Triathlon Because He's Too Busy Celebrating

An Ironman runner almost suffered the most embarrassing of defeats after four hours of racing because he was too busy celebrating with fans.

In extraordinary footage, the leading runner at the Brazilian event, Jeremy Jurkiewicz, stops near the finishing line to celebrate with supporters who had turned out in force.

All is going well until it suddenly dawns on Jurkiewicz that the man in second place has spotted his run, and he has summoned up one final burst of energy and is running full pelt toward the line.

Can he get there first? No—but only because the cocky runner has to take drastic action to ensure there is no way past him for the victory.

French athlete Jurkiewicz was high-fiving fans, but it would have been an even more popular result had the second-placed man swept in, because he was Brazilian. Igor Amorelli almost got the reward for concentrating right until the end in a very 21st-century version of the Tortoise and the Hare fable.

The race in Brazil was a half-length Ironman triathlon, but nevertheless took almost four hours to complete, with a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run through the Brazilian capital of Brasilia.

Top points leaders are then able to compete in the season finale in Hawaii, a blue ribbon event at the end of the year.

Which makes it all the more rash to do your celebrating in the 10 metres before your victory, rather than in the 10 metres afterward.

Sources: Buzzfeed, Ironman Brazil