Woman Who Crawled To The Finish Line at Texas Marathon after attempting to Set Record

Against overwhelming odds, a female runner from Kenya came third at the 2015 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon Sunday by crawling on her hands and knees across the finish line.

Hyvon Ngetich, 29, was leading the pack of top female runners at the 23-mile mark, but with victory in sight, exhaustion set in and the Kenyan athlete started to fade. 

More photos after the cut.

By the time the finish line came into view, Ngetich's body began to shut down, but the determined runner was not ready to give up.

Unable to run anymore, Ngetich collapsed to her knees and proceeded to crawl on all fours, her eyes locked on the finish line.

Race volunteers rushed to Ngetich’s side rolling a wheelchair, but she refused to sit in it. 

The resolute woman continued to inch forward down Congress Avenue under the watchful eyes of medical staff, with the crowd cheering her on every step of the way.

If anyone offered her help, Ngetich would have been disqualified from the race.

At one point, the 29-year-old had a pause in order to gather her strength.

Right before she crossed the finish line, Austin runner Hannan Steffan beat Ngetich for second place. 

Her compatriot Cynthia Jerop won the race in 2:54:22.

But it was the determined, unyielding Ms Ngetich who won the hearts of the spectators Sunday.

‘You ran the bravest race and crawled the bravest crawl I have ever seen in my life. You have earned much honor, and I am going to adjust your prize money, so you get the same prize money you would have gotten if you were second,’ Austin Marathon race director John Conley told Ngetich.

Ngetich’s personal record in the marathon is 2:34:42. Fellow Kenyan athlete Betram Keter won the men’s race in 2:16:21.

Looking back on her inspiring feat, Ngetich said she does not how she managed to finish the race at all.

Credit: KeyeTV