Following a law enforcement related incident that caused the four lead women in the USATF Half Marathon Championships to leave the course, national office staff immediately began the process of working with the local organizing committee (LOC), our long distance running committee chairs and World Athletics to best explore our options to resolve this not just for the women who were led off course, but also for the three women who ultimately crossed the finish line first. Simultaneously, we initiated a thorough review of how the incident occurred and how to strengthen our relationship with the local organizers who operate our road and marathon championships to reduce the risks of future disruptions.
On behalf of the national office staff, board of directors, rules committee and long distance running committees, I’d like to outline our solution first and then address our ongoing work to prevent not only the incident, but the uncertainty, confusion and frustration it caused the athletes and those who support them.
World Athletics Road Race Championship Team
The USATF Half Marathon Championship was a selection event for the World Athletics Road Running Championships. USATF’s published selection criteria for this event awards three of our four spots on this team to the top finishers in the race. The spots are eligible for the top five finishers and are offered in ascending order. If all the athletes decline, the spots are offered based on world rankings. While many have called for USATF to simply dismiss the procedures, we had serious concerns about the long-term precedent that could be set and therefore, while an option, was not our first choice. Additionally, although they have all graciously and publicly stated they would decline their spots on the team, we felt strongly that the three official top finishers should be awarded for their efforts. On Monday, we sent an emergency request to World Athletics, outlining what happened. While we had hoped to share the results of this request with everyone today, we have learned the outcome will require a vote by the World Athletics Council. This vote is scheduled for the World Athletics Council meeting which will take place in Poland prior to the World Indoor Championships on March 18-19. Due to the nature of the request, we cannot share the details publicly until a vote has occurred. However, we have had personal conversations with each athlete involved and they are fully aware of the efforts we have taken and what we are hopeful will be the result of those efforts. We do have alternative plans should the council not vote in our favor and we will move in that direction if necessary.
It is not only our job to advocate for athletes, but also our responsibility to send the best possible team to represent the United States in world championship events.
Final Results
It’s clear that had this incident not occurred, Jessica McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat were extremely likely to be the top three finishers. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to get that moment back. Jessica McClain will not have the opportunity to break the tape and celebrate and we can’t begin to imagine how that feels. We are grateful to Atlanta Track Club, the LOC, for awarding the top three prize money to those women. We also know how unsatisfying it was for the other three women to finish in the top three under these circumstances. These athletes have been put in confusing, frustrating and uncomfortable situations through no fault of their own.
The final results cannot be altered. There is not a way to accurately predict what could have happened in the final mile of the race or what finishing times would have been had the athletes not been misdirected. Additionally, there is not a way to have any hypothetically changed results reflected by the global governing body. However, we are committed to doing what we can to provide as many of the benefits as possible to the athletes affected by this incident. In addition to Atlanta Track Club’s pledge to provide the prize money, USATF will:
Distribute USATF Road Running Circuit points that reflect their placement at the point of misdirection. McClain will receive 15 first place points, while Hurley and Kurgat will each receive 11 points, which is an average of the point allotment for second and third place.
World Rankings bonuses and time bonuses are real concerns the athletes have voiced. While we cannot change the time on the clock, we hope that the outcome of our conversations with World Athletics addresses this.
What’s Next?
As our National Governing Body, USA Track & Field is responsible for the proper execution of its national championship events. Our staff and volunteer officials who attend these events need to work more closely with the local organizers to ensure operational and logistical redundancies have been included to safeguard the integrity of the competition. We sincerely apologize for how that has affected the athletes, the fans and our partners at Atlanta Track Club. Atlanta Track Club has released a thorough review of why and how this incident occurred and have taken full responsibility. We need to take responsibility as well, and we do. We cannot undo what happened on March 1. What we can do is our best to make sure nothing like it ever happens again. Prior to our next national championship event, we will outline specific steps our officials and delegates will take prior to the start of each race. To be clear, these steps are not specific to the incident in Atlanta, as Atlanta Track Club is a world-class organizer of events. This is about partnership and accountability. This includes but is not limited to:
We do recognize that when working on public spaces, as road races and marathons do, there are an infinite number of potential scenarios that could occur and no rule, policy or procedural change can cover every unforeseen outcome. But USATF's goal is to minimize these risks with its organizer partners.
We know how hard this past week has been for everyone involved. We are sorry it happened. Despite understandable anger, heartbreak and frustration, the athletes without exception have been professional and patient. To Jess, Emma Grace, Ednah, Molly, Carrie and Annie, thank you. We will do better not just for you, but for all the athletes working hard, sacrificing and dedicating their lives to this sport and to the dream of being a part of Team USA.
Sincerely,
Max Siegel