Women in viral Pittsburgh Marathon photo encouraged each other to finish the race

[demmiblue]

A heartwarming photo capturing the moment that the final two runners crossed the finish line of the Pittsburgh Marathon hand-in-hand, has gone viral and sparked conversations about sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Laura Mazur and Jessica Robertson had never met before they reached the mile 14 marker at the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 5.

Mazur, 37, of New Bremen, Ohio, was running her sixth Pittsburgh Marathon and 12th marathon overall, while Robertson, 30, of Pittsburgh, was running her first marathon.

Mazur told NBC News she was feeling paranoid because she didn’t want to finish last. She turned around and noticed another runner, Robertson, was there as well.

Robertson said that she had been FaceTiming with her mother, feeling defeated and upset with her performance when she noticed Mazur beside her.

The two began chatting and decided to buddy up and run the rest of the race together.

“I told her I’d stay with her if she stayed with me,” Mazur wrote in a Facebook post about the experience.

The two clicked instantly and encouraged each other along the way. Robertson, who was nervous about the possibility of not completing her first marathon said that Mazur’s words of encouragement kept her motivated and confident.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/women-viral-pittsburgh-marathon-photo-encouraged-each-other-finish-race-n1003841?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma&fbclid=IwAR1yf0B1Fiok7yBm_gw_4YpuldHJPRD5Z8Vvm-yEyg_II5a5b9ofFLkGM_s

[samnsara]

1. ive got something in my eye..

[underpants]

2. There is nothing like finishing a marathon

Trust me, asking a marathoner about their marathon is like asking about their children.
I've started 5 and finished 4. I came in dead last in two of them too.

[malaise]

11. I used to do 10Ks

I did my first one for my 30th birthday and came 550th of 551 runners. I was thrilled. I was always an also ran

[RT Atlanta]

20. You know what they call the person who finishes DFL in a marathon, right?

FINISHER!

Congrats on the running accomplishment and I love stories like the women's experience above. I've found a very strong common bond in distance races and glad to see those women (finishers!) sharing the moment.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

28. I have run one marathon, and finished about tenth from last

What kept me going was my telling myself, "If I finish this, I never have to do it again."

[NewDayOranges]

3. They're both WINNERS in every form of the word...

[KY_EnviroGuy]

4. Community, unity, friendship and love.

That's what makes America great.......

[CaptainTruth]

6. +1

[backtoblue]

19. Yes!

[CaptainTruth]

5. America is going to be ok.

I believe we have more good & decent people than hateful racists. We can win. We WILL win.

We need to put a Democrat in the White House in 2020 so we can remove the entire Trump cabinet from office, that is the single most important thing, period.

[Cracklin Charlie]

7. Your headline made me cry.

Thanks, Captain.

[Blue_true]

21. This country is full of good people. The evil ones truly are a tiny minority. nt

[Aristus]

8. That's the greatness of America right there.

It never went away. It just doesn't tend to settle on people who hate their fellow Americans. Love IS greatness.

[B Stieg]

9. My favorite kind of Grace...

That is, as shown by human beings.

[FakeNoose]

10. The Pittsburgh Marathon isn't easy

This photo shows a level roadway, but the route also has a lot of uphills and downhills. The runners cross bridges at least 3 or 4 times as they circle through the city streets. Many spectators stand on nearby sidewalks and offer encouragement and cups of water, but this run is deeply daunting. Anybody who finishes the marathon should get a prize, just for getting through it. No need to win or be a top 10 finisher, just completing it is awesome.

[PatrickforO]

12. Competition is OK, but what is really great is

cooperation!

Not to be preachy, but I'm going to give myself one paragraph here:

This is a metaphor for how we should be organizing ourselves as a species. If you are so competitive you think yourself a loser if you don't cross the finish line first, you are wrong. If we work together to help everyone cross the finish line, then we've ALL won, not just a fortunate few.

[Collimator]

16. That's cool. I'll do your preaching for you.

In Anthropology we debated the competition vs. cooperation thing. Yes, nature can be harsh and there is a certain logic to "survival of the fittest."

However, when it comes to our species, we are soft, hairless, slow meals on two legs with hardly any teeth or claws to defend ourselves. Cooperation is our saving grace. No individual human is equipped to handle nature alone. Even those hermit types that you hear about building cabins in the woods usually make use of tools that other people made, and knowledge and skills that other people imparted to them.

Even the most independent person in the world is utterly dependent on a complicated nexus of social ties and shared industry. We need each other. We always have, and we always will. One of the most important lessons that progressive people have to communicate with the world is that there is no "other" anymore. It's just us here on Planet Earth. We need to find balance within ourselves, with our fellow human beings and with nature if we are going to survive this century.

[stopwastingmymoney]

25. I think that's right

Cooperation as an important competitive advantage for humans

I only took the one Anthropology class in college, I really enjoyed it

[GeoWilliam750]

13. Hats off to the ladies!

[johannsyah]

14. show this photo to Trump's base

I'm sure their heads will explode

[Soph0571]

15. We need heartwarming!

demmiblue your heartwarming posts are always marvellous!

[warmfeet]

17. True beauty.

Not as common as I would like it to be.

[nolabear]

18. Women. We rock.

[keithbvadu2]

22. Super runner Paul Ryan lied about his stupendous time in running a marathon.

Super runner Paul Ryan lied about his stupendous time in running a marathon.

Of course he had an excuse for his lies.

https://www.google.com/search?q=marathon+paul+ryan&sitesearch=democraticunderground.com

[FailureToCommunicate]

23. A metaphor for success in the 2020 election: hand in hand, strangers together for the win.

[stopwastingmymoney]

26. +1

[Stinky The Clown]

24. On so many levels, that image and the story that goes with it is pure hope for Who We Are.

[SallyHemmings]

27. Indeed

The sewage spout coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has wounded our sensibilities.

This story is a reminder that we outnumber them.

[Scarsdale]

29. This brought tears to my eyes.

True photo of USA at its very best. Encouraging each other, hand in hand together. Wonderful ladies. Congratulations to them both.

[demmiblue]

30. Video:

Link to tweet

[Judi Lynn]

31. Tremendous. It was great getting to see them make it! Thank you. n/t

[Blue_Tires]

32. INCREDIBLE!