Rob Gomez had a chance to win the $1,000 prize as the top male finisher in Maine’s TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K after front-runner Jesse Orach had fallen for a second time within sight of the finish line.
Rob Gomez could have easily won the Maine division of the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K, the state’s premier road race. Jesse Orach was well ahead of Gomez when Orach collapsed short of the finish line. Gomez could have run past Orach and claimed the winner’s spot and prize money.
But he didn’t. Instead, he picked Orach up off the ground and helped him across the finish line. Orach, 23, of Gorham was declared the winner. Gomez, 34, was second in the Maine division. Technically, both men could have been disqualified from the race for giving and receiving aid.
Photos of Gomez’s selfless act have been circulating on social media and Gomez has remained humble.
“They’ve put me on a pedestal I don’t really deserve,” Gomez told the Press Herald. “What people saw was just an example of the running community. It’s not really special. It’s just what we do.”
Some wondered how Gomez could pass up winning himself, especially since the first place finisher gets a $1,000 prize.
“It wasn’t a calculated decision,” he said. “It wasn’t because I’m some sort of hero or some sort of special person, because I’m not. As runners, we understand, we pick each other up and help each other.”
Watch the finishing line clip below: