There were only a few meters left, and his legs were no longer responding.
The child was running the Valle Marathon between Yumbo and Palmira when exhaustion won the race before he himself gave up.
That was when a soldier from the Comprehensive Action and Development Support Brigade No. 2 saw him staggering and did not think twice: he positioned himself beside him, spoke into his ear, and began setting the pace with him.
Seconds later, a second soldier joined them, and together they supported him by the arms so that his steps would not stop.
What happened next was captured by dozens of cell phones: the trio moving forward together, the child catching his breath thanks to those voices that never stopped encouraging him, and finally the three of them crossing the finish line to the applause of thousands of runners.
The National Army later celebrated its soldiers’ gesture on social media. That day, they traded their weapon for patience and turned a race of 9.000 people into the story of just one.