At the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, nearly the entire crowd stuck around for the morning session’s final track event, the men’s over-60 800 meters. And Joe Gough, a 63-year-old from Ireland, wanted to give them a show.
Gough surged to the front late in the race and entered the final straightaway with a narrow lead over Great Britain’s David Wilcox. As Gough battled to hold off his British rival, the fans came to life. “I loved the atmosphere,” Gough said. “I was playing a bit to the crowd.”
Gough’s finishing kick ultimately fell a few meters short, as his legs gave out before the finish line. Wilcox won the race in a time of 2:15.90. Gough finished second in 2:16.01. The full results are available here.
But Gough’s proud of the performance. “Going into the tape, I’d given everything, and I could hear the crowd shouting,” he said. “So I’m happy, the crowd’s happy, and I think Ireland’s happy.”
A video soon surfaced on Twitter showing the grueling final meters that left Gough sprawled on the track.
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