Aaron Beggs said a video of him and Brazilian Robson de Oliveira helping a tired player went viral because of the need for a feel-good story.
Published April 24, 2026
The Northern Irish runner who helped carry a collapsed runner to the finish line at the Boston Marathon has reflected on what inspired him to help and why video of the incident went viral on social media, saying the world needs uplifting stories “in the midst of negativity.”
In Monday’s 130th race, defending champion John Korir and Sharon Rokedi completed a sweep of Kenya, with Korir setting a new course record, while Rokedi fell one second short of the previous record.
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But the other story of the race was that of Northern Ireland’s Aaron Beggs, who stopped to help exhausted runner Ajay Haridasse.
Video taken by a witness from multiple angles shows Haridasse, 21, from Boston, falling several times and trying to get back up, each time exhausted and sitting down.
“I looked at the clock, looked at him again, and my natural instinct was to pick him up,” Beggs told Al Jazeera in an online interview.
In the video, Beggs can be seen reaching out his arms to help Haridasse, who has collapsed near the lace wall, to his feet, with the visibly exhausted Haridasse struggling to stand. Brazilian runner Robson de Oliveira also supported Haridasse from behind, helping the two cross the finish line by slipping under Haridasse’s shoulders.
“I think what I was saying to myself in the last two miles was, why did I go to him and help him? Because this is a journey,” Beggs said, adding that he thanked de Oliveira for his help.
“The three of us, traveling like three strangers from three different countries across the finish line, will be the story of the rest of our lives,” he said.
Beggs stressed the importance of spreading the word about feel-good moments like this in a time when every time we watch the news we hear only negative stories.
“We all need nice stories in our lives, just to make us laugh or cry with happiness. Being nice is nice.”
