A runner who was struck by a deer during a half marathon in Monmouth County still managed to cross the finish line.

Christina Sanchez tells News 12 New Jersey that she was on Mile 10 of the Jersey Shore Half Marathon at Sandy Hook this past Sunday when a large buck ran into her.

“There was only 3 miles left, so I had to finish and my kids were waiting at the finish line,” she says. 

Sanchez says the deer came dashing out of the woods and struck her in a "blur of brown and white fur."

Sanchez, of Fair Haven, says she was knocked down. She says that the deer then sprinted back into a wooded area near Gunnison Beach. 

She received attention from emergency personnel, who gave her the OK and encouraged her to finish the race.

“You always tell [your kids] if you start something you have to finish it; get knocked down, get back up,” says Sanchez. “So once I realized it wasn't broken, 3 miles left, I asked if I could finish and the EMTs said ‘All right, give us a call if you need us.'”

Sanchez says that she finished about 10 minutes slower than her goal time. But she says she wasn't going to give up.

She says that she holds no ill will toward the deer. But she says that next time she sees one, she may keep her distance just to be safe.