Senior Harvard runner Kieran Tuntivate competed at the 2019 Ivy League Heptagonal Championship, racing — and winning — the 3000m event without his left shoe.
SHOELESS KIERAN TUNTIVATE.
— The Ivy League (@IvyLeague) February 23, 2019
The @HarvardTrack_XC junior loses his shoe on the first lap, then goes from third to first down the stretch to win the #IvyHeps Indoor 3,000! pic.twitter.com/ylz3nTLibz
Tuntivate deserted the shoe about 300m into his race when it came loose. He continued running, though, barefoot on the rough indoor track. While Tuntivate gutted out the pain for the win, his foot was a little worse for the wear.
CHAMPIONSHIP: DI Indoor Track and Field championship qualifiers
Tuntivate shared the results on his Instagram, click through to see the battle wound.
Tuntivate wasn't about to let a flesh wound stop him though, and he went on the next day to race in, and win, the 5000m event — this time wearing two shoes.
Kieran Tuntivate was SHOT OUT OF A CANNON on that last lap to take the 5000m! He crossed the finish line in 14:25.32 to take the #IvyHeps title! #GoCrimson
— Harvard T&F | XC (@HarvardTrack_XC) February 24, 2019
📺: https://t.co/1Xw1UOB24r pic.twitter.com/qKsmOcHtdx
His individual title performances led the senior to be named Male Most Outstanding Track Performer for the championship.
He also won the 5k the next day wearing trainers 🤷♂️ https://t.co/env46QaH8q
— Harvard T&F | XC (@HarvardTrack_XC) February 27, 2019
Harvard's indoor track and field teams put together a strong performance at the championship, winning nine individual event titles and a relay victory in the men's 4x400m relay. The women's team finished in second with 102 points, and the men's team finished in third with 103.
We had 15 All-Ivy selections from indoor #IvyHeps including 10 individual first team members and a relay! https://t.co/E1dlQzLR6W #GoCrimson pic.twitter.com/tNIQbabBGZ
— Harvard T&F | XC (@HarvardTrack_XC) February 26, 2019