OMG! This bear interrupted a 10-mile race to cross the road

Long-distance runners go through a range of sensations on their way to the finish line, including pain, fatigue, and in some cases, anxiety associated with avoiding wild animals that want in on the action. It’s quite possible those were the conditions when a bear interrupted a race in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Sunday, completely startling the participants in the Garden of the Gods 10-mile run.

According to photos of the race interruption, the bear casually strolled onto the road as hordes of runners sprinted by. Local participant Donald Sanborn even stopped to take photos of the furry competitor making its way through the trees and onto the course.

When a bear crashes your race, the best reaction is to keep calm and carry on with your run like it’s an everyday thing for a clawed beast to jog alongside you.

Sanborn shared the photos on Facebook, including an obligatory “cross the road” joke as a caption.

"Why did the bear cross the road? To scare the runners and make me lose precious time in the middle of a race!"

Maybe it’s just us, but we’d like to think there’s a correlation between faster finishing times and the presence of a bear on the premises.

Either way, we’re happy to report that there were no injuries (human or otherwise). Apparently, the bear waited until there was break in the pack and immediately made a run for the other side of the road instead of heading for the finish line, a move that only the laziest of creatures will understand.