This Woman Stopped To Rescue A Stray Puppy During A Marathon

Simply finishing a marathon is a big achievement for most people, but one woman in Thailand didn’t stop at running all 26.2 miles — she also rescued a dog in the process!

Runner Khemjira Klongsanun was participating in a local Bangkok, Thailand marathon on Jan. 20, 2019, when around mile seven, she spotted a seemingly abandoned puppy along the roadside.

While other runners reportedly passed by the pup, dog-lover Klongsanun decided to both pick up the puppy and finish the race, despite having 19 more miles to go. (And as anyone who has ever run a marathon can tell you, carrying any kind of weight for 19 miles can make a marathon even more challenging and tiring than it already is.) But instead of putting the dog down or giving it to a spectator to hold, a determined Klongsanun crossed the finish line with the tiny puppy in her arms.

Check out her big smile in this Facebook photo posted by Facebook user Polsin Sinsamoe:

After the race, Klongsanun decided to take the puppy home and adopt him, naming the dog “Chombueng” after the name of the marathon. The tiny pup looks like he took a much-deserved nap on the car ride home:

Klongsanun also reportedly went back to the rural area where she first spotted Chombueng to make sure there weren’t any other dogs hiding there or in need of help, but she didn’t find any other animals. Since the area was not near any homes or other people, it’s likely that Klongsanun saved the dog’s life! Chombueng now has a home with Klongsanun and her two other adult dogs.

“Running almost 20 miles carrying a dog was truly a challenge. It was two times tiring than a normal marathon but I did it anyway just because he is adorable,” Klongsanun said to MSN.

It looks like Chombueng found his forever family, while Klongsanun has a marathon memory she’ll never forget.