A marathon runner in Thailand found a lost puppy mid-way through her race then carried him 19 miles to the finish line before adopting him.<br /><br />Khemjira Klongsanun, 43, noticed the other athletes dodging the bedraggled pooch seven miles into the marathon in Ratchaburi, western Thailand, last Sunday (January 20).<br /><br />But the fitness fanatic slowed down her own progress to kneel by the roadside and gently coax the trembling little bangkaew, or Thai wolf dog, over to her.<br /><br />With no houses or crowds nearby, she realized that the puppy was lost or had been abandoned and feared he would struggle to survive in the wilderness.<br /><br />Khemjira, in a show of compassion, then picked up and cradled the dog, using her own towel to shield it from the blistering sun, before continuing the race.<br /><br />Incredibly, she ran with it under her arm for a further 19 miles and crossed the finish line holding the puppy.<br /><br />The shop owner has now adopted the puppy, believe to be just a couple of months old, and named him ''Chombueng'' after the name of the marathon. <br /><br />Khemjira said: ''It seemed to me that this little guy was lost. There were no houses, no other dogs, or no people around. So, I picked up the puppy, if only to take him out of the unsafe environment.''
