‘It looked awful, but what could I do?’– Belarusian runner won marathon despite excessive nosebleed
Belarusian athlete Volha Mazuronak claimed European championship gold in the women’s marathon race on Sunday overcoming a horrendous nosebleed that caught her flat-footed just 30 minutes after the start.
The pre-race favourite Mazuronak was forced to run almost a quarter of a 42km distance trying to stop bleeding which only increased due to physical activity and heat on the track.
Mazuronak used tissues to stem the flow of the blood which spread across her face and vest. The 29-year-old, who said she didn’t want to waste a European title because of the bleeding, washed her face at a drinks station installed on the marathon course to prevent possible dehydration of the runners.
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“I had a nosebleed, when I woke up in the morning and a thought suddenly struck my mind that it could repeat during the race,” the runner said.
“And it really happened! It was difficult to halt bleeding because I constantly moving. Of course I understand how awful it looked like, but I don’t think it was a big problem. It’s impossible to run if you are injured, but because of the nosebleed you can’t take a 10-minute break to stop bleeding. Yes, it’s not beautiful, but what could I do?”
Having seen her deal with a terrible nosebleed in the early stages, I can’t be the only one who thinks the perfect outcome for the women’s marathon would be a win for Volha Mazuronak. #EC2018#berlin2018pic.twitter.com/6ZXz9VJDku
— NeilMorrans (@NeilMorrans) August 12, 2018
The Belarusian clocked a time of two hours, 26 minutes and 22 seconds to earn gold at the European championship in Berlin, Germany. France’s Clemence Calvin took silver in that event, while Eva Vrabcova Nyvltova of Czech Republic took bronze.
