00:00They were paying him to drop out of the race after 30 kilometers, but as he continued running,
00:05completely disregarding the contract he had signed, it seemed he'd had a change of heart.
00:10See, as a pace runner, Ruben Kipiego was hired to lead the fastest runners in the Abu Dhabi
00:15marathon at a steady, record-chasing pace, breaking the wind resistance for them and
00:19helping the star runners behind him to set faster times. He, of course, wasn't expected to be able
00:24to keep that pace for the entire race, just until the 30 kilometer mark where he could then step
00:29aside and let the real runners compete for the podium. However, as Ruben reached the agreed
00:34distance, he looked around and realized that the star runners who were supposed to be taking it
00:40from here were nowhere to be seen. Some had dropped out due to injury and others were just lagging
00:45behind, unable to keep up with the pace Ruben was setting. So that's when Ruben had a choice.
00:50He could drop out of the race as agreed, lock in his pacer fee, which typically ranges anywhere
00:55from $3,000 to $10,000, along with any other bonuses that come with the fact he matched the
01:00required pace exactly. Or he could keep running, give up on his pacer fee and instead attempt to
01:08win the $100,000 prize awaiting the gold medalist at the finish line. Even though he was leading the
01:13race, it was still a gamble. He had to maintain the same pace for another 12 kilometers. And if he
01:19ran
01:19out of gas or got an injury later in the race, he'd lose out on everything. But Ruben was feeling
01:24confident at the time and so he kept going. But as Ruben pushed through the final 12 kilometers of
01:30the race, many spectators were confused. Seeing a man wearing a pacer bib still in the lead, people
01:36questioned whether Ruben crossing the finish line first would even be considered a legal win. And they
01:42were about to find out because Ruben didn't stop. He did indeed cross the finish line first. He set a
01:48personal best time of 2 hours, 4 minutes and 40 seconds. And in doing so, he officially took home
01:54the $100,000 prize pool.
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