A runner competing in a high school track meet in Florida was punched mid-race as he competed in the 1,600m event, TMZ reported.
Witnesses described to the news outlet how they first saw an athlete at the Tohopekaliga Tiger Invitational, being held in Kissimmee, Florida on 28 March, dressed in a black uniform step into the middle of the race track, but they noted how he was not competing in that specific event.
Next, the student dressed in black struck the runner, seen wearing red and white, as he was pulling through to lead the rest of the pack.
The student, who you can see in the video to be caught off guard by the punch, crumbles to the ground quickly.
Witnesses told TMZ that initially, the teen who was punched had been circling the track when, on one of his earlier loops, the athlete who would later go on to attack him had walked into the middle of the track.
The teen competing, the outlet reported, shouted at him to move. On the next lap, the athlete once again was blocking the track, which led the racing teen to shove him to get out of the way, witnesses described to TMZ.
This is when, witnesses say, the teen chased down the racer to then catch up with him and punch him from behind.
The Canadian Running Magazine reported that the victim of the punch was able to finish the race, though they don’t mention what place he landed after leading the pack before the punch in the 1,600m event.
Local police were called to the track meet, the magazine reported, but no information about whether or not charges were laid has been released.
