During a Princess Ekiden relay marathon in Fukuoka, Japan, one of the runners broke her leg and crawled about 200 meters to the finish line, the newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported.
The newspaper added that the accident happened 3.6 kilometers (2.2 miles) into the 26-mile race.
After 19-year-old Rei Irida broke her leg, the team's manager decided to have her drop out of competition. However, the judge concerned could not be immediately reached.
As a result, the athlete had to crawl on her blooded knees for about 200 meters to pass on the baton as her teammates waited for her with tears in their eyes.
The startling scene was recorded at the Princess Ekiden All-Japan Inter-Company Women's qualifying race in Fukuoka Prefecture.
The athlete will need at least four months to recover.
The team manager has already visited her at the hospital and apologized.
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