Carson Mello appeared to coast down the stretch as he ran alone in front and raised his arms in triumph twice before the Delaware Marathon finish line.
It was too soon to celebrate. Joshua Jackson was in a full sprint behind him and beat him to the tape in a video watched by millions.
Click for the frantic finish here.
Jackson, 24, clocked 2 hours, 43 minutes and 12 seconds to edge out his fellow Pennsylvanian, whose premature revelry offered a lesson to all competitive runners out there.
“Never celebrate too early; the race isn’t over until you cross the finish line,” one observer wrote.
