Spanish runner Surrenders victory and prize money to Peter Kariuki

Mohamed Massat will be remembered by many runners in world as he showed a sporting gesture ever seen at 27th edition of the Quijote Marathon held on Sunday (22) in Spain.

The 29 year-old had won the race with a personal best time of 1:07.08 and was followed in second by the defeding champion, Peter Kariuki from Kenya.

Massat who is a 1500m specialist and was taking part in his second Half marathon declined to be declared the winner of the race after he realized that Kariuki due to an error by a judge on the circuit, which had forced the Kenyan to run one extra kilometer.

Massat went further to declare that he won’t take the cash prize money as he took the microphone from the MC of the day, César Ultraviviente, to announce to the crowd at the finish line that he wasn’t the winner but Kariuki.“I cut the tape, but for me the winner is Peter Kariuki. He had a lot of time ahead of me and due to a mistake at the end of the circuit he went the other way. The winner is him, he was going to arrive before me,” said Massat.

Massat who was to receive Ksh 79, 000 as prize money refused to take it but took Kshs 47,000 as his for finishing second.

Massat who is based in Ciudad Real is a soccer referee and he had been requested by his coach Augusto Arco to run the Half Marathon, which he exceeded his expectation as he ran a life time best.