The US Half Marathon Championships ended in controversy Sunday as the three leading female runners followed a lead vehicle off course with less than two miles to go. Jess McClain, at the front of the pack, was on the brink of her first national title at the Atlanta event. She, along with contenders Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat, had to double back after realizing the mistake. McClain ultimately finished ninth with a time of 1:11:27, with Hurley and Kurgat seconds behind in 12th and 13th place, respectively. Molly Born, more than a minute behind McClain before the miscue, ended up winning in 1:09:43. "An utterly bizarre situation," an announcer said, per the New York Times. LetsRun.com's Jonathan Gault called it an "absolute disaster."
USA Track & Field acknowledged the course wasn't properly marked at the point where the top women were misdirected but said its rules offered no way to change the order of finish, so the results stand. Atlanta Track Club CEO and race director Rich Kenah accepted full responsibility, promising a review of why the vehicle left the route. He said "athletes should never have to make a split-second decision between following a pace vehicle or trusting the official course," per Fox News. McClain, 34, not only lost the title and $20,000 winner's prize, but also an automatic berth to the 2026 World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen. USATF said team selections for Copenhagen aren't final until May and that it will review what happened in Atlanta.
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