High School Runner Sucker Punched On Track During Race

Shocking scene at a high school track meet in Florida over the weekend ... when an athlete sucker punched a runner in the head during a race.

The incident went down at the Tohopekaliga Tiger Invitational in Kissimmee on Saturday ... when witnesses claim the athlete in a black uniform was standing on the track as the runner in white and red was circling around and leading the pack.

Witnesses say the runner in first place yelled at the athlete in black to move ... but when the next lap came around, the guy appeared to purposely get in the way of the runner by standing on the track.

According to witnesses, the runner in first then pushed the athlete in black to get him out of the way. In response, the athlete chased down the runner and punched him from behind.

The runner who was attacked then fell to the track ... but it's unclear if he suffered significant injuries or if he finished the race.

We reached out to the host school for comment ... but it claims no Osceola County students were involved.

However, we're told law enforcement and the Florida High School Athletic Association were notified of the incident.

We reached out to cops, but they've yet to provide us any further information.