Runaway Goat Steals The Show At Canadian Marathon
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The inaugural T'Railway Trek half marathon in the Canadian town of Conception Bay South on September 29, 2024, had an unexpected star: a pet goat named Joshua. The four-legged competitor stole the spotlight after he suddenly began trotting alongside the runners. By the finish line, Joshua had earned not just a medal but also the hearts of the entire town and fans worldwide.
The ten-year-old brown and white goat entered the 13.1-mile (21 km) race around the halfway point. The route passed near the goat's home — a pumpkin farm owned by Heidi and Jeremy Taylor. According to Jeremy, Joshua loves being around people. So, when he saw the runners, he broke free from his collar and eagerly joined them.
Heidi and Jeremy had no idea Joshua had escaped until they saw his photos being shared on social media. The pictures showed him keeping up with the runners and being guided by crossing guards to follow the path with everyone else.
Afraid that he was lost, they turned to Facebook for help. Some locals saw their post and tried to catch Joshua at a crossing. But he escaped and kept running. By the time he was caught again, Joshua had already sprinted about 2.5 miles (4 km). But the goat was still far from the finish line.
Realizing how popular Joshua had become among the runners, his owners decided to help him finish the race. They put the goat in their truck and drove him to a spot about 800 feet from the finish line. From there, they walked Joshua across the line to receive his participation medal. Despite being one of the last to finish, Joshua was the star of the event. His fellow competitors were all eager to snap a photo with the celebrity goat.
"We very quickly put a medal around his neck, and he became quite the star. Most people who actually ran the half marathon wanted their picture with Joshua at the finish line," said the town's mayor, Darrin Bent.
Since the race, the Taylors' pumpkin farm has been flooded with fans eager to snap a photo with the famous goat. Joshua isn’t expected to race again next year. But Brent believes he will make the perfect mascot to greet competitors at the finish line.
"To have Joshua join in and become a kind of a mascot-star of the event is something we didn't expect, and we're just delighted that the 'G.O.A.T' (greatest of all time) of the race is really a goat," he said.
Resources: CBC.ca, Washingtonpost.com, animalsaroundtheglobe.com
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33 Comments
victoria_wiseabout 2 monthsI saw this on another news page, it's so cute and funny! Go GOAT!
orcaswiminspaceabout 2 monthsThats so cool that the goat could run all that way!
