Key Highlights
- half marathon championships until she was mistakenly led off the course by a guide vehicle is calling for USA Track & Field to make right an outcome that cost her a spot in the world road running championships this fall. Jess McClain was ahead by a wide margin with about 1.5 miles to go Sunday when she and three other runners followed the guide vehicle on a wrong turn. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMcClain said in an Instagram post that she followed a police escort, official lead vehicle and a media motorcycle off the course for about one kilometer.“I had to come to a stop, make a tight & complete u-turn & run back onto course as a national championship title & a world team spot slipped away,” she wrote.
- “I’m going try my hardest to walk away from this weekend remembering the joy I felt in those moments where I thought I was on my way to becoming a National Champion & finally make Team USA outright.”McClain, who is from Phoenix, ended up finishing ninth.
- The next two runners who followed her off the course — Emma Hurley of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Ednah Kurgat of Roswell, Georgia — were 12th and 13th, respectively. Molly Born of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, crossed the finish line first in 1 hour, 9 minutes, 43 seconds. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I don't really feel like the U. S.
- champion just because of the whole situation that went down at the end," Born said in an interview with the Fast Women YouTube channel. McClain and three other runners who followed the lead vehicle appealed after their protest of the order of finish was rejected.
- USATF said in a statement the jury of appeals found "the event did not meet USATF Rule 243 and that the course was not adequately marked at the point of misdirection.