A wrong turn just before the finish line of the 10-kilometer Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday cost Eithopia’s Senbere Teferi the title, and thousands of dollars in prize money.
Agonizing video shows the 2022 champion appearing to follow a police motorcycle, and running off the course.
Tefeir came back onto the course and finished third.
She won $3,000 rather than the $10,000 awarded to the winner.
In a statement, the AJC Peachtree Road Race said it looked like Teferi “momentarily became confused and followed a police motorcycle when it turned off the course.”
“She was within sight of the finish banner, but we understand that in the heat of competition instructions can be misinterpreted,” it added. “As an organization, we are disappointed whenever we fall short of perfection, and in this case, it appears we did.”