Hero runner adopts puppy she rescued during marathon


A marathon runner who became an international hero after rescuing a puppy and carrying it for 19 miles until the finish line revealed how the orphan has settled in with her 11 pet dogs.

Khemjira Klongsanun, 43, who has a British partner, Keith Trudgill, 55, was running when she noticed the other athletes dodging the frail pooch seven miles into the marathon in Ratchaburi, western Thailand, on January 20.

The fitness fanatic slowed down her own progress to kneel by the roadside and gently coax the trembling little wolf dog over to her.

With no houses or crowds nearby, she realised that the puppy was lost or had been abandoned and feared she would struggle to survive in the wilderness.

Caring Khemjira picked up the dog and cradled it to check it was safe, using her own towel to shield it from the blistering sun.

Incredibly, she then ran with it under her arm for a further 19 miles and crossed the finish line holding the puppy.

Her story was covered around the world with many people saying the ''hero'' had ''restored their faith in humanity''.

Speaking on video for the first time alongside her partner Keith, the shop owner has now shown off the little puppy - and revealed how he has settled in with her 11 new brothers and sisters who also stay at her home in Chonburi province.

Caring Khemjira even drove hundreds of miles back to the spot where she found the puppy in an attempt to track down her siblings, sadly without success.