During a recent high school cross-country meet in Minnesota, Mark Paulauskas got spiked by another runner. He let out a scream and was writhing in pain, holding his bloody ankle, while the other competitors passed him by.
Josh Riley, a runner from a rival school, didn’t pass by, he stopped to help:
Runner carries injured foe half mile to help in middle of race.
 

The only person who decided to pay attention was Ripley. As an Anoka-Hennepin school district release reported, Ripley immediately noticed Paulauskas holding his bloody ankle. Then, instead of running back and calling for help, he did the only thing he could think of: He carried the injured runner a half mile back to coaches and family members.
 
“I didn’t think about my race, I knew I needed to stop and help him,” Ripley said in the school district release. “It was something I would expect my other teammates to do. I’m nothing special; I was just in the right place at the right time.”

 
Paulauskas was taken to the emergency room where his injury required twenty stitches to close. And Josh – went back and finished the two-mile race!

After dropping Paulauskas off with his coaches, Ripley proceeded to go back and finish the race — even after carrying a kid for a half mile on the running trail. Admittedly he was a bit winded, but still completed the course as scheduled.

 
Now that’s character!
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“So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” ~ Luke 10:36-37