Son Captures Crowd Erupting in Cheers as Mother Running First 5K Finishes Dead Last
You never know until you try. Better late than never. Slow and steady wins the race.
We have plenty of sayings we use to bolster ourselves and others when we face odds we don’t think we can beat. Many will simply back down when faced with difficulty, but others thrive on the challenge.
Mark Konye’s mom, Kelly, decided to run her first race, the Ice Breaker Challenge at the Albany Rowing Center, on March 30 at the age of 54. Konye was impressed and proud, so he made sure to share his mother’s accomplishment with the world.
“Yesterday my Mom completed her first 5k she’s been training for since September, she was so nervous b/c she thought she couldn’t do it,” he wrote.
“She ended up finishing in last but everyone cheered for her at the finish line and she did such and amazing job. She’s so adorable ❤️❤️❤️❤️”
The video starts out showing her doing stretches with the rest of the runners and then taking off to start the 5K trek.
As she draws near the finish line, the timer shows her coming in at just over an hour — but she made it! And she celebrated as she ran past the line, throwing her arms up in the air.
Yesterday my Mom completed her first 5k she’s been training for since September, she was so nervous b/c she thought she couldn’t do it. She ended up finishing in last but everyone cheered for her at the finish line and she did such and amazing job. She’s so adorable ❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/6adTutAcjb
— .K O N Y E. ??? Mark Konye (@markkonye) March 31, 2019
She may have come in absolute last place, but she still finished, which is more than many people can say. Whether or not she continues this hobby moving forward, she has a better idea of what she’s capable of.
Along the way, she’s encouraged plenty of people. Commenters said she was inspirational and has become their motivation.
“She did amazing!!! I’m still sore myself. I’ll run with her anytime,” one person commented.
GO MAMA, GO! We love our #PlayOfTheDay of a proud son filming his mom’s first 5K race ? pic.twitter.com/tcD8ln4dqx
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 2, 2019
“She is awesome!” wrote Rebecca Clark, who also completed the 5k. “I saw her as I made my way up the trail towards the end, and she did wonderfully. An inspiration to us all!”
“I was also remembering: in bicycling, the last finisher has a special status and is called the ‘Lanterne Rouge.’ Because it is always an honor to finish. I do hope she’ll join us again next year, too!”
“Congratulations Mark for supporting your mom on her long journey and triumphant finish and congratulations to my cousin for endeavoring and going all the way to the end,” chimed in family member Kevin Smith. “That is a victory in my book. God bless you and keep on striving to overcome your challenges.”
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