VIDEO: University runner loses shoe mid-race, still wins with bloodied foot

American University’s Liam Purdy finished with a bloodied foot and one heck of a story to tell from the Patriot League Indoor Track and Field Championships.

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Midway through the 800m at Boston University, the site of the championships, Purdy lost his right shoe. Continuing on anyway, Purdy ended up winning the race holding off two of his closest competitors in the final 50m in 1:53.25, third-fastest in school history according to the Washington Post. The time was also a PB though he says he split faster in the team’s 4x800m relay earlier in the weekend. (Relay splits are not official times.)

Video

Who needs a sneaker? Not Liam Purdy! He wins the 800 for @AUeagles at @PatriotLeague Championship. @BillSpaulding with the great call! pic.twitter.com/SkIJcXD8Gm

— Patriot League on ESPN (@PatriotLeagueTV) February 19, 2017

Commentator Bill Spaulding made the call and remarked “Liam Purdy has the lead, and he wins barefoot!”

Purdy, along with the rest of the American University track team, is coached by Matt Centrowitz, the father of Matt Centrowitz Jr., the 2016 Olympic champion in the 1,500m. Centrowitz himself is a two-time Olympic distance runner as the accolades run in the family.

After crossing the finish line, Purdy didn’t kneel over due to fatigue like most runners. Rather, he ran to the infield and looked pumped to have won the Patriot League title. He said after the race, via Twitter, that the Boston University medical staff “patched” him up.

Aftermath

All patched up thanks to the BU Staff ?? pic.twitter.com/z90K1CN5Mv

— Liam Purdy (@GrandMastaPurdy) February 19, 2017

The story gained so much attention that it was trending on Twitter as part of the platform’s “Moments” feature. Kevin Morris captured the sequence and photos can be found here.