British marathon runners went the distance, as race was 586 metres too long

Last Sunday, the Brighton Marathon was held in Brighton, England, hosting over 7,000 runners. Despite the route being measured correctly before the start of the race, a cone line was moved over the final stretch, diverting runners to run an extra 586 metres.

After the race, organizers mentioned to runners that there had been a mistake with the course measurements and that it was half a kilometre too long.

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In an online press release, event organizer Tom Naylor said, “We are wholly disappointed that this has affected our runners & hope that it hasn’t marred the experience, at what has been a fantastic comeback event after 18 months.”

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In the men’s race, Neil McClements overtook the then leader Ollie Garrod 200 metres before the finish line to win the race. Garrod would have won the race if the distance wasn’t incorrect. Despite losing the race over the final extra stretch, Garrod was in good spirits about placing second and congratulated McClements for his victory, saying he won “fair and square”.

Canadian Lauren Reid of Uxbridge, Ont. finished third in the women’s marathon, in 3:09:31. “I knew it was long after I passed the halfway mark three minutes behind the halfway point on my watch,” Reid says. ” I tried to keep my focus on racing, knowing the distance was beyond my control.”

The error comes four years after the Brighton Marathon course was measured 146 metres short. “In the next few weeks, all finishers will be given more information on their times, and that the course length would be adjusted for results,” Naylor said.