Runner Loses The Race On Purpose In Stunning Act Of Sportsmanship.

This is a story about a remarkable act of sportsmanship that happened in a cross-country race.

Ivan Fernandez Anaya showed his character on a race track in Navarra, Spain, and in the process he wound up showing the world what true sportsmanship looks like! Ivan is a long-distance runner from Spain who competes in cross country and marathon races.

Abel Mutai, a Kenyan runner, was leading the race and was about to cross the finish line. But he got confused by the signs and stopped too soon, thinking he had already won.

Ivan was just about to finish a cross country race when he noticed Abel Mutai, a Kenyan athlete who’d been in the lead, began to slow down as he approached the finish line. Abel did not speak Spanish so he got confused by the signs and thought he had already won. Ivan saw what was happening in an instant and could have easily darted past his opponent to win the race himself. Instead, he slowed his own pace and pointed Abel towards the real finish line so he could win.

Fernandez could have easily passed him and claimed the victory for himself. But he did not. Instead, he pushed Mutai towards the finish line and let him win.

“He was the rightful winner,” Ivan said later. “He created a gap that I couldn’t have closed if he hadn’t made a mistake. As soon as I saw he was stopping, I knew I wasn’t going to pass him.”