VIDEO: Officials with equipment cart cause mayhem during 800m

The phrase “getting boxed in” during a race took on a new meaning at the 2017 European Athletics Team Championships over the weekend.

Rather than simply getting trapped to the inner lanes by surrounding athletes in the men’s 800m, at around the 500m mark of the race two officials with a cart were standing in lane one. Athletes passed at nearly full tilt and managed to avoid the on-track obstacle. To avoid the collision, all 11 runners had to move to an outer lane, which caused mayhem down the backstretch.

RELATED: VIDEO: Big collision as race official wanders into lane one during 1,500m.

Adam Kszczot, who was wearing white and red of Poland and can be seen in the video, was subsequently disqualified for an infraction shortly after avoiding the cart. He took several steps in the infield after trying to sneak through on the inside to pass. (Kszczot won the race initially but was later disqualified.)

“After the first lap, everyone was focused on having a good position,” Kszczot told reporters after the race. “And suddenly, the box and the guys were standing in the first lane. It was really ridiculous because athletes fell out to the [second and] third lane.”

The European Team Championships were held at Lille Metropole Stadium in Lille, France. Kszczot posted the below collage to Instagram on Sunday highlighting how he ended up on the infield for a few steps.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVxSnuHlvuo/

Thijmen Kupers of the Netherlands, the second of the two athletes involved in the post-race interview in the featured video, took the victory in 1:47.18.