Spanish Athlete Gives Up Ksh80,000 Cash Reward to Help Kenyan Marathoner During Race

Organisers of the 2023 Generali Málaga Marathon in Spain were in Sunday impressed by Spanish marathoner Ricardo Rosado’s benevolent gesture towards a Kenyan athlete.

Rosado, who was poised to finish the race at position five making him eligible for a grand prize of €500 (Ksh82,686), stopped to assist Kenya’s Evans Kimtai Kiprono cross the finish line.

Reports indicate that Kiprono suffered from dehydration just a few minutes before the finish line and was having a difficult time completing the race.

While the Kenyan athlete struggled with physical exhaustion, Rosado had the opportunity to overtake him and complete the race at position five but he refrained.

In a later interview, however, the athlete noted that the position belonged to Kiprono who had worked hard all day.

“The marathon is an experience, and he has been better than me throughout the day, so I thought he deserved to be fifth at the finish line. You identify with your rival; I would do it again,” he told the press after the race.

Kiprono clocked a time of 2:14:22 while Rosado finished at 2:14:23.

The Spanish athlete was, however, still eligible for another price of Ksh165,326 (€1,000) for being the first Spanish national to cross the finish line. The Ksh82,000 would have been a bonus for finishing in the top 5.

Rosado’s gesture struck a nerve with the race’s management who later rewarded him with an extra €500 for upholding the athletics ethics.

Javier Aguirre de Cárcer, the Generali’s Director of Communication praised the gesture noting that it showed solidarity in athletes.

“The gesture by Rosado just metres from the finish line to help a Kenyan athlete demonstrates the solidarity and values that make this sport great and with which we feel identified,” he stated.

Kiprono was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment immediately after he completed the race.