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A shocking video of a high school runner being sucker-punched at the Tohopekaliga Tiger Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida, has become viral across social media platforms.
According to Running Magazine (Canada), the high school runner was punched during a 1,600m race on Saturday. A police complaint has been filed following the altercation on the track.
TMZ reported that witnesses observed that the person dressed in black shorts and a t-shirt who threw the punch was not part of the race. He was standing on the track and the runner who was in the first place told him to move away before he got punched in the face.
The teen attacker refused to move and in the following lap, which was not recorded, the athlete reportedly pushed the attacker out of the way and knocked him down since the boy dressed in black was deliberately getting in his way.
To retaliate against the push, the attacker ran onto the track and punched the runner leading the race in the subsequent lap. The athlete faced a strong blow to his head. He was thrown off balance and was floored in a heap at the side of the track, wincing in pain. Other competing athletes were seen running around him to finish the race.
The athlete who was hit eventually got up and made it to the finish line.
Law enforcement were called to investigate the runner’s punch
Spectators on the stand could not believe what they had witnessed. Over 27 schools were competing in the invitational event. Supporting onlookers were heard screaming in horror. One watcher was heard yelling:
“Are you f**king kidding me?!”
TMZ reached out to the host's school, but it was brought to their attention that no Osceola County student was involved in the attack. The Florida High School Athletic Association has noted the incident and are yet to release a statement. Tohopekaliga High School did not comment on the viral video either when writing this article.
Running Magazine reported that law enforcement was called in, but information regarding any charges filed has not yet been made public.
