The Stranger at Mile Twenty
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 5 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Elodie cheers for a tired marathon runner and walks beside her for one block.
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Elodie stood on the sidewalk and watched the city marathon. Hundreds of runners passed her. Some waved, and some looked very tired. She clapped for all of them.
Near the last corner, a woman in a yellow shirt stopped. She walked to the edge of the road. She looked at the ground. Her face was red and wet. A man held out some water. She did not take it.
"I can't do this," the woman said quietly. "I want to stop."
Elodie read the name on her shirt. It said "Rhoda."
"Rhoda!" Elodie shouted. "Rhoda, don't stop!"
The woman looked up. "Do I know you?"
"No," Elodie said. "But your shirt has your name on it. Come on. The finish is only one block away."
Rhoda took one slow step, and then another. Elodie walked next to her on the sidewalk. She pointed at the red flags at the end of the street.
"Look at the flags," she said. "Only the flags. Nothing else."
They passed a bakery, a bus stop and a small school. People in the crowd shouted Rhoda's name too. She started to run again, very slowly.
At the end of the block, a metal fence stopped Elodie. Rhoda kept going. She crossed the finish line with both arms in the air. Elodie held the fence and clapped until her hands hurt. Her own legs were tired too, but she did not care.
