The Most Vulnerable of Athletes

Police in Lewiston, Maine continue to investigate an alleged assault by an unidentified spectator on a Lewiston High cross-country runner, senior Mohamed Noor, at the 73rd running of the New England high school cross country championships Saturday in Cumberland.

If you have not been following the story, or the discussion of it on the message boards, it started sketchy and has become increasingly ugly. Noor was struck in the face by dirt or sand thrown by a man during the race. At the time he was struck, in the second mile of the race, he was in fifth place. He finished in 124th. After the race, he was vomiting and complaining of a burning sensation in his eyes. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

According to one press account, Noor and a teammate were approached by the same manbefore the race, and he tried to give them biblical pamphlets (Noor is Muslim).

Immediately after the race, there was a lot of confusion about what had happened, IF it had happened, and why. Another story from Wednesday indicates that Noor's story has been corroborated by another runner who had been running close to Noor who was struck in the back of the head by a clump of dirt.

Cross-country runners and marathoners are among the most vulnerable of athletes. They tarvel a long route that is almost impossible to secure. Who can forget how a deranged spectator attacked the race leader, Vanderlei de Lima, in the 2004 Olympic Marathon?

In yet another story on the incident at the New Englands, Griswold (CT) Coach Gerry Chester recalls how his entire team was attacked and beaten up in a dual meet 15 years ago. It is a sick thing that the cowardly choose to attack the innocent at their most vulnerable moments.

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SI.com: Second runner claims sand thrown

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