"The jury of appeals found that the event did not meet USATF Rule 243 and that the course was not adequately marked at the point of misdirection. This violation contributed to the misdirection taken by the athletes within the top four at the time of misdirection. However, the jury of appeals finds no recourse within the USATF rulebook to alter the results order of finish."
"This race was a selection event for the 2026 World Road Running Championships. That team is not officially selected until May, it said in its statement. USATF will review the events from Atlanta carefully. While we understand athletes are eager to resolve this issue expeditiously, our process will ensure an ultimate decision is in the best interest of all the athletes involved."
The USA Track & Field Half Marathon Championship in Atlanta experienced significant controversy when guide vehicles took the leading women runners off course with less than two miles remaining. Jess McClain, who held the lead at that point, was misdirected along with Ednah Kurgat and Emma Hurley. Molly Born, who trailed by over a minute, advanced to win the race, with Carrie Ellwood and Annie Rodenfels finishing second and third. The misdirected runners finished ninth, 12th, and 13th respectively. USATF's appeals jury acknowledged the course violated Rule 243 and lacked adequate marking at the misdirection point, but found no rulebook provision to alter the final results. The race served as a qualifier for the 2026 World Road Running Championships, though USATF indicated final team selection occurs in May.
#track-and-field #half-marathon-championship #course-misdirection #usatf-rules #world-road-running-championships
Read at www.theguardian.com
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