Rogue Goat Enters Marathon in Newfoundland, Wins Medal

Joining a marathon mid-race is usually frowned upon. It’s usually grounds for disqualification. But sometimes race officials will make an exception. Being an adorable goat that hopped into the race because it got excited seeing all the racers pass by is one such exception. 

That’s what happened during a marathon in the Canadian province of Newfoundland.

During the inaugural T’Railway Trek Half Marathon in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, a goat with the unsettlingly human name Joshua was camped out in a nearby pumpkin patch watching 250 racers pass by along the scenic course. Joshua broke off his collar and joined the race.

The goat ran alongside his fellow competitors for about 4 km of the half marathon before his owners finally caught up to him. Out of sheer excitement, or maybe thinking it was a stampede and it needed to flee whatever threat was coming, Joshua wound up running a larger portion of a marathon than most of us ever will. By the time they caught up with him, he was just half a km from the finish line.

Race officials, the racers themselves, and Joshua’s owners all decided to let Joshua finish the race. Joshua was awarded a medal when he crossed the finish line. 

At first, Joshua’s owner, a woman named Heidi Taylor, didn’t even know Joshua had escaped. When she saw people posting pictures of him on social media, she rushed out with another collar and leash and grabbed a bag of his favorite treat, a Canadian puffed cheese snack kind of like Cheetos called Cheezies. 

Taylor says that she often goes on walks and Joshua follows along. So, she theorizes, when the goat saw a whole bunch of people moving in one direction, he must’ve figured it was just time for his normal walk. Joshua didn’t run the full marathon, but dammit, he’s a winner anyway. He earned that medal.