Poughkeepsie, NY EMT Helps Runner Finish NYC Marathon After Suffering Medical Emergency

Crossing the New York City Marathon finish line is a feat in itself. But what happens when a fellow runner needs medical assistance right before the finish line?

Well, if you're Poughkeepsie, NY EMT Scott Kohn you jump in to help.

Poughkeepsie, NY Native Completes NYC Marathon

37-year-old Scott Kohn has been preparing for the New York City Marathon all year. Training days consisted of grueling 20-mile runs all to prepare for a tough 26.2 miles of bridges and hills in NYC. Kohn was ready to conquer all 26.2 miles while raising awareness for NAMI, The National Alliance on Mental Illness of NYC.

The last leg of Kohn's first-ever NYC Marathon took a turn when he saw a fellow runner in need of assistance.

Beacon, NY Volunteer EMT Steps in to Help NYC Marathon Runner in Need

We spoke with Kohn, who told us it had been a tough run all together. By mile 15 his legs were cramping, but he was pushing through.

As he got past mile 20 and into that final stretch of mile 26, he was gaining momentum from all the positivity from the millions cheering on from the sidelines. Just when he saw the finish line, he saw a fellow marathoner in pain.

Kohn tells us:

She was hunched over and in a lot of pain. Her eyes were rolling in the back of her head.

At this point, his time and leg cramping didn't matter. Kohn, who is also a volunteer EMT in Beacon, knew that he needed to help this woman get across the finish line and to first responders waiting nearby.

He and another runner decided to flank the distressed runner on each side, holding her by the arms, and get her over the finish line. This is Scott Kohn's finish line photo from the 2023 NYC Marathon:

Scott goes on to tell us that, thanks to social media, he has been in contact with the woman. She's currently resting and coming to terms with what happened during the Marathon. We've blurred her image to protect her privacy.

You can see that Scott and the other gentlemen quickly got the runner directly into the hands of first responders after crossing the finish line:

You can learn more about the organization Scott Kohn ran for and more about mental health issues at the NAMI website. Kohn left us with this message after his whirlwind NYC Marathon experience, that we stand behind too:

Be kind to others.