US half marathon title decided after the lead car sent the top women off course

The USATF Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta on Sunday produced a champion nobody wanted to crown that way. With about a mile to run, the women's lead vehicle turned left at Nelson Street and Ted Turner Drive instead of continuing straight onto a footbridge, and the four women behind it followed. Jess McClain, well clear at the time, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat ran roughly 400 metres the wrong way before turning back. Carrie Ellwood also turned but was called back by an official.

Molly Born, running fifth at the time, crossed first in 1:09:43. Ellwood was second in 1:09:47 and Annie Rodenfels third in 1:10:12. McClain finished ninth in 1:11:27, Hurley 12th and Kurgat 13th. Born said afterwards she did not feel like the rightful winner.

Atlanta Track Club's review found that race-assigned police had left the intersection minutes earlier to respond to an emergency nearby, cones had been staged but not set, and the lead driver followed a police motorcycle believing the course had been rerouted. The club said it is responsible for the integrity of the championships, and will pay McClain the equivalent of first-place money, with Hurley and Kurgat splitting second and third. USATF rules do not allow a published finishing order to be changed.

The men's race was straightforward. Wesley Kiptoo won in 1:01:15 from Hillary Bor, 1:01:30, and Ahmed Muhumed, 1:01:31. Charles Hicks and Robert Liking followed. The top three earned places on the US team for the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September.

One wrong turn by a car, and a national title went to the fifth woman on the road. The runners did everything right.

Sources: Atlanta Track Club; Runner's Gazette; Athletics Illustrated.