Two days post the completion of the Edmonton Marathon, the race director issues an apology acknowledging an error in accounting for detours, resulting in the race courses being longer than intended. The statement by the race director, Tom Keogh, disclosed that the half-marathon and marathon courses were 674.7 meters longer than initially believed due to miscalculations in detour-related adjustments.
Keogh took responsibility for the oversight, stating that the error in course adjustments led to the courses being longer than planned. Despite previous confidence in the course certification process, a thorough review revealed the mistake in calculating detour-related adjustments. Participants, including elite and amateur runners, had raised concerns about the race distances before the official acknowledgment.
The Edmonton Marathon is working with relevant partners, including Athletics Canada, to address the issue and determine how this year’s results can be recognized, especially for events like the Boston Marathon. The error impacted runners like Mitch Walz, who missed his Boston Marathon qualifying time due to the extended course distance.
Keogh expressed regret for the impact on participants who dedicated time and effort to training for the marathon. Plans are in place to enhance certification processes to prevent similar errors in the future. While the Boston Athletic Association has limitations on adjusting results for course deviations, athletes who still meet the qualifying times may be considered for the marathon.
