A top Chinese athlete has been dubbed “the runner with the runs” after soiling himself in an untimely bout of diarrhea at the Shanghai International Half-Marathon on Sunday.
Wu Xiangdong, who felt “unwell” after 10 kilometers, began to relieve himself past the 14-kilometer mark of the 21-kilometer race, Sina Sports reported.
Wu finished and won his category in one hour, six minutes and 16 seconds. He believes that he could have been faster without diarrhea.
“I was really relieved when I crossed the finish line,” Wu said. “It seemed I had more power after I excreted everything [during the race]. I definitely would have run faster if I didn’t have this [episode].”
In the end, Ethiopian runners bested both men’s and women’s categories, with Antenayehu Dagnachew Yisma (1:02:32) and Bedatu Hirpa Badane (1:12:10) emerging as champions, respectively.
While Wu made it clear that he wants to remember nothing from the race, many praised him for completing his category in such a nightmare-ish predicament.
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