Three runners who were mistakenly directed away from the correct path during the U.S. half marathon championship will be awarded prize money following the course mishap, organizers announced Tuesday.
The Atlanta Track Club revealed they will provide first-place prize money to Jess McClain, who held a commanding lead in the women’s division when a guide vehicle mistakenly directed her and two other competitors off the proper route. McClain was running ahead of Ednah Kurgat and Emma Hurley at the time of the incident.
According to the club’s announcement, Hurley and Kurgat will share the prize money typically awarded for second and third place finishes, as both runners were running side-by-side when they were taken off the correct course.
“We are responsible for the integrity of these championships,” the organization stated. “We regret that Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat were impacted by this incident and were unable to be recognized as the top three finishers reflective of their performance on the course.”
USA Track & Field rejected an appeal following the mishap, though they acknowledged the course markings were insufficient. The organization said in a Sunday statement they would “review the events carefully.”
The championship race functioned as a qualifying event for the 2026 World Road Running Championships, though USATF indicated the selection process remains ongoing.
Race organizers explained that police officers assigned to mark the course had to abandon their posts to respond to an “officer down” emergency call. Replacement officers were not familiar with the race’s “unusual route” that included a footbridge not typically used by vehicles.
The lead vehicle’s driver subsequently followed a police motorcycle off the designated course, assuming race officials were implementing a route change.
