Marathon Runner Rescues Stray Puppy And Carries Him Nineteen Miles To The Finish Line

Jul 01, 2022

In 2019, Khemjira Klongsanun was running a marathon in western Thailand when she came across a stray puppy ignored by all the runners before her. She picked up the puppy and ran the rest of the race with it in her hand. Khemjira ended up adopting the dog and named him Chombueng.

Khemjira was one of the runners in the 26-mile Chombueng marathon in Western Thailand. Everything started well until seven miles into the race. While running, Khemjira saw a small puppy that was trembling on the other side of the road.

It was a Thai wolf-dog, otherwise known as Bangkaew. The little dog was frightened, and all the other runners were avoiding the poor thing. However, Khemjira couldn't leave him there alone. She felt sorry for the poor puppy and decided to do something about it.

Slowly, she approached the dog and kneeled to face him. By doing so, her race temporarily stopped. The race took place in an area with no homes or neighbors close. It was evident to her that it was either a stray or an abandoned dog.

Due to the scorching heat in the area, Khemjira knew that the little puppy wouldn't survive. Although this was an important race for her because of the hours she spent training, she could not leave him behind.

Ultimately, her compassion showed when she picked him up, and, using her towel, shielded the puppy from the scorching heat. She did not quit the race. Khemjira ran the remaining 19 miles with the puppy underneath her arm. She reached the finish line while holding the puppy in her arms.

After the race, she went home with him and tried to find the owner. However, nobody came to claim him. The good news is that Khemjira decided to adopt the little dog naming him Chombueng, after the race in which Khemjira found him. 

In an interview with the Daily Mail the racer shared that she thought the puppy was just lost. "It seemed to me that this little guy was lost. There were no houses, no other dogs, or no people around. So, I picked up the puppy, if only to take him out of the unsafe environment," she said. 

Having to run her race, she said that she would normally not run with a dog, but he was just too cute. 

"Running almost 20 miles carrying dog was truly a challenge. It was two times tiring than a normal marathon but I did it anyway just because he is adorable," she admitted. 

"It might take a while for him to adapt himself. But Chombueng is a very smart boy. I'm sure he is going to be happy living with us," Khemjira shared.

Aside from the sweet pup, Khemjira had two dogs before she brought home her new addition. "It took a lot of time to take the new dog for checkups, vaccinations, and treatments but I'm glad to save him and willing to have him with other dog members in the family," Khemjira said.

After gettting him settled into his new home, the family said it may take a little time for him to adapt to his new life.

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