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