VIDEO: High school runner dives for the line in sprint to the finish
Two high school cross-country runners had a finish to remember as one athlete dove across the line in an effort to edge out the competition.
Photo finish between first-place Alec Schrank from Millbrook and second-place Rohann Asfaw of Richard Montgomery #allmets pic.twitter.com/G0fdks8p13
— Dan Roth (@ByDanRoth) October 8, 2016
In one of the crazier endings in high school cross-country, Rohann Asfaw dove across the finish line in an effort to win a close battle with fellow runner Alec Schrank. Though the effort was unsuccessful, the resulting video is worth a watch as the finish could not have gotten much tighter.
The Glory Days Grill Invitational, held in Bull Run Regional Park in Manassas, Va., was held on Saturday. The memorable finish came in the seeded varsity boys division.
RELATED: VIDEO: Runners get huge mid-race air into cross-country mud pit.
Both high school runners crossed the finish line in an identical 16:04 for the 5K course, averaging approximately 3:12 per kilometre pace. Conditions were wet and muddy, which made for an even greater finish, which was captured by MileStat.com at the finish line. The American race had 254 runners.
Video
Finish of the YEAR! Alec Schrank holds off diving Rohann Asfaw at #GloryDaysXC! @milesplit @MilesplitMD @PRRunning pic.twitter.com/PrFtsE9tzk
— MileStat.com (@milestatdotcom) October 8, 2016
The finish prompted Asfaw to tweet the following:
That slide was v fun
— Rohann Asfaw (@RohannAsfaw1) October 8, 2016
Cross-country season in Canada is in full swing as high school and university runners prepare for their respective provincial championships before nationals. The Canadian university championships are being held in Quebec City on Nov. 12. The Canadian open cross-country championships are being held in Kingston, Ont. towards the end of November.
RELATED: Thief gets caught trying to outrun university cross-country team.
Dives across the finish line were a hot topic during the Rio Olympics when Shaunae Miller, a sprinter from the Bahamas, won gold in the women’s 400m.