Fukuoka Marathon runner hit by race vehicle finishes with elbow fracture

On Sunday, a Japanese runner at the Fukuoka International Marathon encountered an unexpected obstacle in the late stages of the race. Rather than hitting the proverbial wall of fatigue, the runner was accidentally struck by a race vehicle around the 32-kilometre turnaround mark in Fukuoka City.

According to race officials, the unnamed male athlete sustained a serious elbow injury after colliding with the race vehicle. The graphic video captures the runner in shock on the ground, getting up and grabbing his elbow while bravely continuing to run.

Remarkably, despite the injury, the athlete finished the race. However, he promptly checked into a nearby hospital, where he learned he had fractured his left elbow. He was running alongside Yasushi Sugita of Sendai, Japan, at the time of the incident. Sugita and the unidentified runner were on pace for a 2:30 marathon, passing through 32K in around an hour and 55 minutes.

“I was trying to pass the runner after the turnaround, but I did not have room to pull out in front,” wrote Sugita on his Strava post. “If the car was one second slower, it would have slammed into me—I would have been the one who was hit.”

Despite witnessing the freak accident, Sugita, 53, finished the race in 2:34:25 for 164th overall. After finishing, he said he was surprised to hear on the news that the runner broke a bone and still finished the race in under three hours. According to Japanese news, the injured athlete was taken to the hospital after crossing the finish line, where he was told he was facing a three-month recovery period for his fractured elbow.

Fukuoka International Marathon organizers released a statement accepting blame for the incident, and issued an apology to the affected athletes: “As the authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent collision, the focus remains on ensuring the safety and well-being of all participants in future marathon events,” reads the translated statement.

The Fukuoka International Marathon is one of the oldest and most historic elite marathons in the world, and the men’s elite-only race has produced countless world-class performances. Canada’s Jerome Drayton won the race three times, and in 1975, he completed the course in 2:10:09, which was a Canadian marathon record at the time. The race is traditionally held on the first Sunday of December.

Sugita said he was still upset by what happened on Sunday. “Athletes running the marathon should be able to concentrate on competing safely,” he said. “I sincerely hope that he was OK.”