World Athletics grants U.S. team seven spots after half-marathon blunder

March 25, 2026

A half-marathon mistake that cost three female athletes a spot on Team USA for the upcoming World Road Running Championships has now been resolved by World Athletics, but with a catch.

On Wednesday, the governing body issued a statement allowing for three additional athletes from USA Track & Field (USATF) to compete in the women’s half-marathon at the 2026 World Road Running Championships (WRRC) this September.

The decision follows a misdirection incident at last month’s USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta, where the lead pack of Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat was sent off course with one mile to go, causing them to finish outside the automatic qualifying positions.

World Athletics has agreed, on a strictly one-off basis, that USATF can name seven athletes (rather than the usual four) for the women’s half-marathon in Copenhagen. However, only four of those athletes will be eligible to win medals or score for the U.S. team, which USATF will be required to name before the race.

The remaining three athletes will compete as non-scoring entrants, meaning they cannot win medals, receive prize money or contribute to the team result. They will still earn world ranking points based on their finishing position and will wear a different version of the U.S. national team kit.

World Athletics said the “unprecedented situation” made the decision difficult, but the governing body believes this is a solution that allows USATF to recognize the athletes affected by the error. Canadian Running