US Half Marathon Championship: Runners will be awarded cash prizes after running off the course

Three athletes who ran off the course while leading the U.S. Half Marathon Championships will receive compensation after ultimately finishing outside the top three.

Event organizers in Atlanta said that the police responsible for determining the route had to respond to an emergency call, which led to the confusion of the leading car.

Jess McLean, who had been comfortably leading the women’s race, was taken off the main track along with her closest rivals Ednah Kurgat and Emma Hurley.

The race was won by Molly Bourne, who was more than a minute behind, while McLean finished ninth, Hurley was 12th and Korgat was 13th.

The Atlanta Track Club said Tuesday it will award first-place prize money to McLean while Hurley and Korgat will split the combined winnings of second and third place as they were tied when they left the road.

The club said in a statement: “We are responsible for the integrity of these tournaments.”

“We are sorry that Jess McLean, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat were affected by this incident and were unable to be recognized as the top three finishers reflecting their performance on the course.”

Organizers said police assigned to the race responded to an “officer down” call and that replacement officers were unaware of the race’s “unusual route” over a pedestrian bridge not normally used by cars.

The driver of the lead car then followed a police motorcycle, believing the race had been rerouted.

USA Track & Field (USATF) denied the appeal, although it acknowledged that the course had not been adequately defined., external

The race was a qualifier for the World Road Running Championships in September, but USATF said selection is still open.