José Julio Mendoza Mendoza has 45 years of running experience. That Sunday in Huamantla, Tlaxcala, he only wanted to train for the Mexico City Marathon, although he knew he did not have a race bib because registrations had already sold out. 🏃♂️
Two meters from the finish line, an organizer identified as Ricardo Romano Corona blocked his path with such force that he knocked him backward onto the pavement.
José Julio lost consciousness for a few seconds. No one from the staff came over to help him. Even so, he got up on his own and finished running.
“All I ask of the young man is that he pay for the medical service expenses”, he later said in a broken voice, also lamenting missing the marathon he had been so looking forward to.
The municipality distanced itself from the incident, but days later, the aggressor’s family reached an agreement with him, although Ricardo never showed his face.
Was what happened in those final two meters justified? 😔