Molly Born announced on Instagram she will decline the World’s spot if offered. Seems like the USATF is going to do some policy modifications if they want to field a full team.
No coverage in Atlanta media or elsewhere from what I've seen. Besides LR, is anyone reporting this?
I saw some stories on my yahoo feed (sue-me for using legacy tech, I'm Gen X). One from New York Post, one from BBC News, and one from AP. This link seems to have different stories depending on if I'm reading it in a private tab or not. When I originally saw it on yahoo, at least the first post had well over 100 comments (from non-runners but all agreed it was an injustice).
not sure financially if it's possible to reimburse for the wrong turn to Ednah, Emma and Jess (they should though) - I feel like the rankings is going to be maintained
but bare minimum has to be to grant them the US Team slots for the HM in the Road Running Champs (which is the 2nd big complication here). if USATF stands firm and not grant them first rights to the Road Running Champs slots, this is actually very very awful
Disagree strongly. Look, I feel bad for the three original leaders. I think they should be monetarily compensated.
However, runners always have the responsibility to know the course. Full stop. This isn’t new.
Local 5Ks—know the course. Club, middle school, and high school XC—know the course. Trail running—know the course. All road races—know the course.
Yes, they may have followed the lead vehicle in front of them, but in many races those change off regularly. You can’t rely on it unless explicitly told so, and even then you shouldn’t fully rely on it.
Know. The. Course.
At the same time, the ATC—and I love them as a former member!—should compensate those ladies for their screw up. They are jointly responsible.
I think what surprises me is all the folks who are like “give it to the original 3 leaders” probably have a large percentage overlap with those who sneer at participation trophies. Giving the ladies who went the wrong way the spots when it is their job to know and run the course is a participation trophy.
Easy to know a 5k course, but this one is filled with turns. If you are local and run the course, yes you should know it. If you are out of town, how many times do you think you need to drive the course before you know it by heart? What a ridiculous thing to say. I was a former TAC race course certifier. I have measured/certified courses all over the Midwest and Southern USA during that time. At this level, USATF Championship, GPS loaded onto computer in lead vehicle, 2d person with hard copy map(that can read a map), codriver instructing driver, course fully marked/painted, and course marshals at each intersection(that know their jobs). USATF should have had a check system that ensured ATC followed standardized race management. Our local 5k's have almost all this. Two f*****s in two years with course issues for ATC race management is unforgiveable. USATF should put a 10-year ban on them for any event. It's 2026, we have the technology to figure this race out without the lead vehicle mishap. There is film, GPS, Strava, etc. Never mind the outdated rules of the USATF, get all involved parties together in one room. Get Hurley, McClain, Kurgat, Born, Ellwood, Rodenfels, Parker, and Kostrelis, ATC Race Director and USATF Rep, along with someone with common sense and figure it out. ATC should pay out more money, the racers that don't go and rep the USA get to do so at another event of their chosing with all expenses paid.
I am not good with technology. And I know technology can eff up. But just curious: Can you program Waze or another navigation app to take a certain route? For example, a particular half-marathon course in Atlanta? If so, that might be helpful to the lead vehicle or vehicles next time.
Also, was there a "hierarchy" of lead vehicles? Like was the car leading the bike or vice-versa?
There are course map programs you can download onto computers that will instruct you on which way to go. Cannonball drivers use these all the time in driving across the US.
Is is true that the first vehicle to make the wrong turn was a police car??
2 police motorcyles, A pace car, and a bunch of photographer bikes all went through first.
Jess McClain has shared some of the briefing documents the elites were emailed prior to the race on an IG story and the "know the course" crew could do with taking a look. Plotted route on a zoomed out mapped of the city where the the roads aren't named. Then in the pre-race briefing were given details about some course updates.
You can see how horrendously the course was marked in this video. They literally had cones up across the entire correct route, the markings made it look as if the correct course was closed. I wonder how many of the sub elite men got sent off into the marathon course.
Totally unacceptable that Atlanta Track Club marked the course this way and that USATF let the course be run with this ridiculous marking.
Wow someone needs to step in and correct this and give the top 3 back to them.
Unfortunately, this is not possible based on the rules. It is the responsibility of the runner to be familiar with the course.
Take a good look at the official course map (link below). How tf are you supposed to memorize that? There are dozens of turns. Even if you have photographic memory of a course map, most of the streets are not labeled on the course map. Even if an nerdy person bothered to look up all the unlabeled street names on their own, it would take a person that also has perfect memory of street names and turn directions in perfect succession (would need to memorize the turn-by-turn directions in the second link). Translating a perfect memory of a complex course map of a place you haven't seen to the real world is extremely difficult. Even if you live in Atlanta, you couldn't preview run the course with the same viewpoints as the race because you can't run in middle of the roads. If there were a course in my town that complicated, I'm pretty sure almost all the locals would even get lost without referring to a map at most turns.
Unfortunately, this is not possible based on the rules. It is the responsibility of the runner to be familiar with the course.
To prove you are capable of becoming "familiar with the course", why don't you study the course map and turn-by-turn directions for a few hours. Then, without looking the map or turn-by-turn directions, please draw the course map for us with all the streets labeled. I'll venmo you a dollar if you do it perfectly.
This whole thing is so stupid. USATF and Atlanta track club should apologize and make it right.
I get mistakes happen but to throw your hands up and say “athletes should know the course” is BS.
That map ain’t doing it. To expect athletes to recognize the route when bikes, lead car, police, camera motos all go the wrong way like nothing happened for minutes is crazy!!! You want an athlete to recognize that and make the correct turns? Big ole dumb.
ATC is becoming like NYRRC - quality doesn't matter so long as the money flows. The club exists to serve the leadership of the club.
Facts. Pure greed! I got the email yesterday about the early bird rate for the 2027 Atlanta Marathon. $130, $143 all in. Really? Early bird, LOL. Who does this average race think they are? Changing the course yet again, hopefully we split from the half earlier than 12.5.
"Know the course" is as silly as saying Kiplimo should have known better and slowed down when he got too close to the lead vehicle in the Barcelona Half.
It's bizarre that USATF/ATC are acting like their hands are tied, particularly when nobody is objecting to them making this right. It actually doesn't matter what the rulebook says when literally everyone says throw it out. But what's even sillier is that the rules give them the tools to fix this:
USATF Rule 125 says that the Referee “shall ensure full conformity with the rules and applicable USATF competition regulations and shall decide … upon any matters which arise during the meet … and for which provision has not been made in these rules or any applicable competition regulation.” Additionally, if “if circumstances arise at any meet such that justice demands that any event or any part of an event should be contested again … the Referee shall have authority to declare the event or any part of an event void and that it shall be held again.”
The rulebook allows these results to be voided. Arguably, it even allows for reordering finishers, as the rulebook doesn't say what to do when a lead vehicle directs people who were clearly not going to get caught the wrong way.
The selection procedures are even more flexible. The procedures are “subject to unforeseen, intervening circumstances” and “may not have accounted for every possible contingency.” Under these circumstances, USATF can pick whoever it wants.
It's bizarre that USATF/ATC are acting like their hands are tied, particularly when nobody is objecting to them making this right. It actually doesn't matter what the rulebook says when literally everyone says throw it out. But what's even sillier is that the rules give them the tools to fix this:
USATF Rule 125 says that the Referee “shall ensure full conformity with the rules and applicable USATF competition regulations and shall decide … upon any matters which arise during the meet … and for which provision has not been made in these rules or any applicable competition regulation.” Additionally, if “if circumstances arise at any meet such that justice demands that any event or any part of an event should be contested again … the Referee shall have authority to declare the event or any part of an event void and that it shall be held again.”
The rulebook allows these results to be voided. Arguably, it even allows for reordering finishers, as the rulebook doesn't say what to do when a lead vehicle directs people who were clearly not going to get caught the wrong way.
The selection procedures are even more flexible. The procedures are “subject to unforeseen, intervening circumstances” and “may not have accounted for every possible contingency.” Under these circumstances, USATF can pick whoever it wants.
how about pick the best runners. how about putting that in the rule book.
how about building up to rule 1000, make that one epic, biblical, like runners need to know everything, and we need to know nothing. you are responsible for everything and we are responsible for nothing.
another one is the bib, some people put it on at an angle, where horizontal is key, should be DQ for more than 15 degrees off horizontal. and 90 degrees, one to four years ban.
This is a moment for USATF leadership and for the Board to step forward and lead. Call an emergency meeting. Pass a resolution to temporarily set aside the specific rule in order to serve the greater purpose and protect the integrity of the outcome. Honor the top three with the award. Extend that same recognition to the individuals who, under normal circumstances, would have placed in the top three. Then make an executive decision to ensure the original three qualifiers are placed on the national team as intended.
This is precisely why chairs and boards exist, not simply to enforce rules, but to exercise judgment when circumstances fall outside the norm. Their role is to thoughtfully evaluate when something has gone wrong and to act decisively to make it right.
