I used to do long distance running when I was younger, and let me tell you that it is the most tortuous, interminable, exhausting, mind-numbing sport you could possibly choose to undertake. Take up football, basketball, tennis - anything, and I mean anything- instead of distance running.
Sure, there's that brief moment's euphoria when you hit your 'second wind', and if you're good at it it can be quite satisfying to look back at 24 other similarly exhausted souls trailing haplessly in your wake. But more often than not, it's a painful slog around muddy fields in freezing temperatures that lasts for far too long and challenges you to make up any number of bizarre reasons why you can't just quit and go home.
Because when you stop to think about it, you could literally just quit and go home.
Well there's one girl who doesn't seem to know the meaning of 'quit', and she's captured hearts the world over with her heroic refusal to do so during her 2.2-mile stint of a relay marathon in Japan.
Japanese university student Rei Iida fell badly, fracturing her right leg during the course of her 2.2 mile stretch of the 26 mile relay marathon, but rather than throw the towel in as I suggested above, she incredibly crawled the last 200 metres to cross her personal finish line before passing her sash on to teammate to continue.
You can watch the footage below, but be warned that some might find it upsetting.
The 19-year-old's teammate was pictured crying as the scene unfolded, while a streak of blood was left in Iida's wake on the painted white lines of the road.
Blood was later seen pouring from the teenager's knee. It seems that she was hellbent on finishing her personal stretch of the race, purportedly asking organisers "How many metres are left until my goal?". It seems that the marshals could not contact the head judge to enquire about what to do next, and so the 19-year-old was permitted to finish her portion of the race.
Iida was later taken to hospital, where she was treated for her injuries. After such an incredible show of bravery and perseverance, let's hope that she recovers well - it seems certain that with a mindset like that, she's destined to do great things in her life.
