Marathon: Kenyan Hyvon Ngetich crawls on hands and knees to finish line

Kenyan runner Hyvon Ngetich collapsed to her knees, but proceeded to crawl on all fours in a fight for third place in the Austin Marathon.

Hyvon Ngetich lost her bid to win the 2015 Austin marathon when she collapsed just 50 metres from the finish

This video shows the sheer grit and determination of a runner from Kenya who CRAWLED across the finishing line of the Austin Marathon.

Exhaustion set in for athlete Hyvon Ngetich at the 23-mile mark and her body started to shut down.

But, determined not to give up, the 29-year-old won support from the crowd as she crawled on her hands and knees for the final mile to the end.

A brave Ngetich continues her race on her hand and knees as she refuses to gibe up on her race

She was pursued by race volunteers who walked alongside a wheelchair, but she refused to sit in it.

If she had received help, Ms Ngetich would have been disqualified from the race.

The athlete, who had been leading the pack of top female runners at 23 miles, managed to take third place at the 2015 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon in Texas on Sunday.

Fellow Kenyan Cynthia Jerop won the race in 2:54:22, reported KEYE-TV.

But Austin Marathon race director John Conley told Ngetich: "You ran the bravest race and crawled the bravest crawl I have ever seen in my life.

"You have earned much honor, and I am going to adjust your prize money, so you get the same prize money you would have gotten if you were second."

Ms Ngetich admitted her recollection of the race was hazy.

"For the last two kilometres, I don’t remember. Finish line… I have no idea," she said.

The 29-year-old said hearing from one of the volunteers that she was almost at the finish line helped spur her on.

The Austin marathon is a qualifier for the prestigious Boston Marathon.