The US Half Marathon Championship in Atlanta descended into chaos after a lead vehicle guided the women's race leaders off course with less than two miles remaining. USA Track & Field (USATF) has denied an appeal, leaving the official results unchanged despite the error.
Jess McClain had built a significant lead over Ednah Kurgat and Emma Hurley when the guide vehicle took the trio in the wrong direction. Molly Born, who had been more than a minute behind, came through to win the race, followed by Carrie Ellwood and Annie Rodenfels. McClain, Kurgat and Hurley finished ninth, 12th and 13th respectively, around two minutes behind Born. Wesley Kiptoo won the men's race.
McClain also missed out on the $20,000 prize awarded to the winners of both the men's and women's races. In a statement, USATF acknowledged that the course was not adequately marked at the point of misdirection, violating Rule 243, but said there was no recourse within the rulebook to alter the finishing order.
The race served as a qualifier for the 2026 World Road Running Championships. USATF said the team is not officially selected until May and that it will review the events carefully to ensure a decision in the best interests of all athletes involved. Lead vehicles are provided and managed by the local organising committee, the Atlanta Track Club.
Tim Hutchings, a former long-distance runner providing commentary, said he understood how the confusion arose. 'When you’re in the heat of battle, you’re seeing red, you’ve got your head down, you’re laser-focused on the task at hand,' he said. 'You don’t necessarily listen to people yelling at you from behind. You don’t check if you’re still on course. You’re following a lead vehicle, and it looks like you’re on a good course. But that was not the case today for Jess McClain.'
