US Half Marathon Championships Marred by Course Error

The lead pack of three women, including frontrunner Jess McClain, was diverted off the half marathon course by a lead police motorcycle and media vehicle with less than two miles remaining. The trio ran approximately 1,000 meters in the wrong direction before being stopped and turned around, adding nearly half a mile to their race. By the time they rejoined the correct course, they had fallen significantly behind the new leaders. The mistake cost the frontrunners dearly, with a $20,000 first-place prize on the line from a total prize purse of $110,000. Jess McClain, who had a commanding lead, ultimately finished in ninth place. The other two affected runners, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat, finished 12th and 13th, respectively. Molly Born, who was about 150 meters behind the lead pack and did not see the incorrect turn, crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 1:09:43, initially believing she had finished fourth. She expressed that she didn't feel she should go to the World Championships in Copenhagen, for which the race was a selection event. USA Track & Field (USATF) acknowledged that the course was inadequately marked at the point of misdirection but denied an appeal to alter the official results, stating there was no recourse within the rulebook to do so. The Atlanta Track Club's Race Director took full responsibility for the pace vehicle leaving the official course. While the results are final, USATF has stated that the team for the World Athletics Road Running Championships is not officially selected until May and the events in Atlanta will be reviewed.