Trending Now - US Runners Granted Additional Entries for World Road Championships
WHO:
World Athletics
United States Track and Field (USATF)
Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, Ednah Kurgat (athletes)
Molly Born, Carrie Ellwood, Annie Rodenfels (top-three finishers)
World Athletics
United States Track and Field (USATF)
Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, Ednah Kurgat (athletes)
Molly Born, Carrie Ellwood, Annie Rodenfels (top-three finishers)
WHAT:
World Athletics made an “exceptional decision” on March 25th, 2026, to allow the United States to field seven female half marathon runners at the 2026 World Road Running Championships.
The three additional runners will be classified as “non-scoring athletes” who will not receive medals or prize money.
World Athletics allowed the United States to field three extra runners in the women’s half marathon at the 2026 World Road Running Championships (WRRC).
The decision was made after McClain, Hurley, and Kurgat were led off course during the USATF Half-Marathon Championships.
The USATF will select four fastest athletes as scoring athletes and three additional non-scoring athletes.
Non-scoring athletes will not receive medals, prize money, or count towards team results but will earn world ranking points.
WHERE:
The incident occurred at the USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta, Georgia.
The incident occurred at the USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 2026 World Road Running Championships will be held in Copenhagen.
WHEN:
The USATF Half-Marathon Championships took place in March 2026.
The USATF Half-Marathon Championships took place in March 2026.
The WRRC is scheduled for September 2026.
WHY:
The decision was made due to the extraordinary circumstances where the lead pack was misdirected because police had to leave their positions to respond to an emergency call.
The decision was made due to the extraordinary circumstances where the lead pack was misdirected because police had to leave their positions to respond to an emergency call.
HOW:
The three non-scoring athletes will wear a different style of the USA national kit compared to the four scoring athletes.
World Athletics made an “exceptional decision” to allow the additional entries on a “strictly one-off basis.”
The three non-scoring athletes will wear a different style of the USA national kit compared to the four scoring athletes.
(UPDATED March 26, 2026 11:18 UTC)
World Athletics has made an exceptional decision to allow the United States to field seven female half marathon runners at the 2026 World Road Running Championships, following an incident at the USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, where the lead pack was misdirected due to police responding to an emergency call. The three additional runners, Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat, will be classified as non-scoring athletes and will not receive medals or prize money. They will wear a different style of the USA national kit compared to the four scoring athletes, Molly Born, Carrie Ellwood, and Annie Rodenfels, who finished in the top three.
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(UPDATED March 26, 2026 00:41 UTC)
World Athletics has granted the United States the opportunity to field three extra runners in the women’s half marathon at the upcoming World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, following an incident at the USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta where Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat were led off course due to an emergency response. The USATF will select four fastest athletes as scoring members, while the three additional runners will be non-scoring, meaning they won't receive medals or prize money but will still earn world ranking points. This exceptional decision was made on a one-off basis, and the non-scoring athletes will wear a different style of the USA national kit compared to their scoring counterparts.