An Illinois man won the Quad City Marathon over the weekend after a race guide on a bicycle directed the two leaders, who were far in front of the pack, down a wrong road and took them out of contention, the Associated Press reports.
Elijah Mwangangi Saolo and Luke Kibet were leading the mass of runners by a significant margin when a bicyclist who was leading them through the course missed a turn and led the two runners down an incorrect path about halfway through the race. Tyler Pence, the head track and cross-country coach at the University of Illinois-Springfield, was able to take the top spot and grab the $3,000 top prize due to the blunder.
“At that intersection where that incident happened, the course was well-marked,” race director Joe Moreno said. “The signage is well-displayed. The volunteers are there. And the fourth element is those elite runners have a meeting the day before to get familiar with the course.”