I was running, only a long stretch to the finish line. I could feel each foot hitting the rubber pavement. My arms moving as fast as I was moving my legs. There was five runners behind me, I had passed them, for what seems like hours away. I could see the red tape, the end to all the heavy breathing. Out of the corner of my right eye I saw my family, my wife and kid daughter, cheering me on. When I focused on the fast coming tape, out of my left eye, Joe was keeping pace with me. I tried to go fast, I had kept my pace the whole way, even though my legs were protesting.

At least I hit the red tape before my legs gave out, but so did Joe. I dropped to my knees this couldn’t be happening. I had trained for so long to come in second. The coach was at my side, the people that were watching had to wait in the stands for the results.

I couldn’t comprehend what coach was telling me, all I mumbled over and over was, I lost. The loud voice overhead announced then that it was a tie between Joe and I. But I had lost it then. All the strength I had was back, but I wasn’t ready to run, I was ready to yell.

“I Tie!?” I yelled out. I got to my feet and got into the judges faces. “How could there be a tie? Where’s the photo finish?” they handed me three photos all had the same time, the very second of crossing the line. Two was a full body, the other was just our feet crossing the line.

I examined them both our feet at the line the same moment, not a millimeter difference, and in the first shot, both our chests hit the tape the same time the same way.

I cursed a lot under my breathe, my daughter didn’t need to hear it come from me. I slammed the pictures on the table back at the judges, mumbles an I’m sorry, took the water my coach was handing me, and went to the locker room.

I just have to do better next time, I thought. Nothing matters now, but me and the other runner.