Runner Foiled By Pole Vaulter's Giant Rubber Band

Aengus Meldon of the National University of Ireland Galway was caught in the final stretch of the 800-meter preliminary at the Irish University Indoor Championship on Friday, but not by another runner.

A giant rubber band being used as a warm-up bar for pole vaulters boinged off the infield apparatus and landed on Meldon as he rounded the final turn. The bungee cord wrapped itself around Meldon’s legs as he waddle-ran to the finish, fighting for second.

The whole thing was, amazingly, narrated by a commentator who was reduced to nearly incoherent sputtering as the runners crossed the finish line. (“Janey Mack” is apparently an Irish euphemism for Jesus Christ.)

The sequence of events was so impeccably timed, it seemed orchestrated. By whom, you may ask?

“It was like Spider-Man threw something at him,” the flabbergasted announcer said. “Spider-Man attacked him.”

Despite Spider-Man’s ambush, Meldon still advanced, though he finished eighth out nine runners in the final, according to the results.