As they say, life is a marathon, not a sprint. As with life, it’s also important to not take a wrong turn in marathons.
The Guardian reports that a trio of runners did just that at the Half Marathon Championship in Atlanta. Jess McClain, Ednah Kurgat and Emma Hurley were holding on to the top three places when they followed a guide vehicle that mistakenly led them off course.
As a result of the unintended detour, McClain, who was firmly in first before the wrong turn, fell to ninth place, while Hurley and Kurgat crossed the finish line at 12th and 13th place, respectively. The race’s winner, Molly Born, was more than a minute behind the leading trio when the course mistake happened.
After an appeal was filed, USA Track & Field said that while the race was not adequately marked, it found “no recourse within the USATF rulebook to alter the results order of finish.”
“The results order of finish as posted is considered final,” the ruling reads.
Maybe they’ll update “The Tortoise and the Hare” to include a chapter on guide vehicles.