Goat Wins Hearts and a Medal in Newfoundland Marathon After Unexpectedly Joining Race

Although he didn’t log the fastest time or complete the full distance, residents of a Newfoundland town all agree that Joshua, a 68-kilogram (150-pound) goat, was the undeniable champion of the local weekend half marathon.

During Sunday’s T’Railway Trek half marathon in Conception Bay South, N.L., Joshua broke free from his collar and enthusiastically joined the runners on the route, keeping pace for nearly a quarter of the race before being captured by his owners. He even received a medal for his efforts.

Heidi Taylor, Joshua’s owner, was surprised to wake up to social media flooded with pictures of her goat mingling with the runners. She mentioned in an interview that Joshua is well-behaved and enjoys following people, so it’s no wonder he decided to join the race.

Joshua lives at Taylor’s Pumpkin Patch, where Taylor co-owns the business. Taylor found out about Joshua’s impromptu race participation around 9:30 in the morning through Facebook and, with her fiancé, managed to locate Joshua along the race route and bring him back using his favorite snack, cheezies.

Taylor mentioned that Joshua stuck close to the crowd of runners, avoided roads, and stayed on the trail, following whoever he was running after. “At one point, he was leading the race,” she chuckled.

After retrieving Joshua, Taylor took him to the finish line to celebrate with his new running buddies, where he was presented with a half marathon medal by Jeanine Scott, a race volunteer.

Despite the surprising turn of events, Taylor wasn’t shocked by Joshua’s friendly nature and desire to join in the race. She described him as loving to be around people, often sneaking popcorn and seeking cuddles from visitors at the pumpkin patch.

After the race, the town of Conception Bay South shared the “un-baa-lievable” moment when Joshua participated in the race, bringing joy to runners and volunteers alike. The post received a lot of positive feedback and engagement in just a few hours.

One commenter wrote, “That would make my day to run with a goat! I wouldn’t even mind if he was faster than me, which he would be.”

Another commented, “Well deserved medal for the GOAT.”

Joshua, the 10-year-old goat, is now taking a well-deserved rest after his big run, according to Taylor.