During an annual half-marathon in Newfoundland, a peculiar participant made an unexpected appearance among the runners in the final miles of the race.
A goat, seemingly thrilled by the hustle and bustle, was joyfully trotting alongside the sneaker-clad athletes on the road through Conception Bay South.
This event was the T’Railroad Trek Half Marathon, held on the east coast of Newfoundland. The course meandered through forest trails and local streets, and as the runners passed a business known as Taylor’s Pumpkin Patch, something unexpected happened.
According to Mayor Darrin Bent, one of the pumpkin patch’s resident goats, Mr. Joshua, decided to join the festivities. “When the runners went by, the goat thought, ‘I’m not staying here!’” Bent recounted to CBC News.
Remarkably, Joshua managed to cover 2.4 miles of the course before his owner, Mr. Taylor, caught up with him and guided him for the final quarter mile to the finish line. Taylor discovered his goat’s newfound passion for running through the flood of social media posts featuring the race in progress, which included hundreds of photos and videos.
At the finish line, Mayor Bent learned about Joshua’s participation from fellow runners. After a brief moment of surprise, he decided to create a special medal for the spirited goat. “We quickly placed a medal around his neck, and he instantly became a star. Many of the half-marathon runners wanted to take pictures with Joshua at the finish,” said Bent.
Mr. Taylor noted that Joshua has always enjoyed being in the company of people, and it was clear that he got swept up in the excitement of the race. Many runners even matched their pace to his, as he playfully slowed down and sped up at various intervals along the course.