Following the completion of the Edmonton Marathon, the race director has issued an apology after officials identified a miscalculation in the detours, resulting in longer race distances than expected.
This admission confirmed the suspicions of many runners regarding the race’s accuracy.
In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, Tom Keogh, the race director for the Edmonton Marathon, revealed that both the half-marathon and marathon courses were measured to be 674.7 meters longer than previously believed.
“The earlier communication from the Edmonton Marathon expressing confidence in the course certification was based on the best information available at that time,” Keogh explained, noting that officials had conducted a detailed review of the course.
“This review uncovered a mistake in how the adjustments related to this year’s detours were calculated, and we sincerely apologize for that.”
“The extra distance attributed to the detour around Wellington Bridge was supposed to be partly balanced by changes to the turnaround point at the west end of the course. However, it was found that the adjustments to the turnaround point did not completely compensate for the additional distance from the detour.”
Keogh stated that the Edmonton Marathon “takes full ownership of this mistake.”
“We accept complete responsibility,” he wrote. “We appreciate all the participants who reached out via email and the ones with whom we have had follow-up conversations.”
Before the statement was released, both elite and amateur runners expressed doubts about the accuracy of the race distances. Four runners shared with CBC News on Monday their belief that they had run longer than the stated distances.
On Monday, Keogh told reporters that the courses had been measured accurately and confirmed on the day of the race.
“Despite our efforts to achieve the highest standard of course measurement and certification, an error took place,” Keogh remarked on Tuesday.
Athletics Canada, the sport’s national governing body, informed the media on Monday that it was also confident in the course measurement and certification process. At the time of publication, Athletics Canada had not yet provided its own statement in response to the Edmonton Marathon’s revised stance on the issue.
“We are collaborating directly with Athletics Canada and other relevant organizations to explore how the results from this year can be acknowledged,” Keogh mentioned in his statement on Tuesday, recognizing that this race serves as a qualifier for major running events, including the Boston Marathon.
Calgary runner Mitch Walz dedicated a year to training for the Edmonton Marathon, aiming to finish in 2:59 to not only meet the 3:05 Boston Marathon qualifying standard for his age group (40-44) but also to secure a buffer in case of too many qualifying runners.
Walz believed he completed the official marathon distance of 42.2 kilometers in 2:59, yet his chip time upon finishing was recorded at 3:03 on Sunday morning.
On Tuesday, Walz conveyed to CBC News that the last few days had been quite an emotional experience.
“Not only did I achieve one of my goals and run as well as I could have imagined, but it also feels like it was all taken away from me,” he said.
Mitch Walz stands near the start line at the Edmonton Marathon. (Supplied by Mitch Walz)
Walz mentioned he had been maintaining his pace during the first half of the race, but upon passing the marker indicating there were three kilometers remaining, he felt disheartened and confused about what had gone wrong.
In light of the new information, he expressed pride in his performance but regretted not being able to push himself harder during the final kilometers.
“We do not take this situation lightly,” Keogh stated. “We recognize that every runner arrives at the starting line after months of committed training, dedication, and personal goals.”
“We also acknowledge that we hosted the nation’s top athletes, and their finishing times did not accurately reflect their outstanding performances.”
Walz expressed that qualifying for Boston would mean a great deal to him, and he hopes he can still secure a spot for that race.
Regarding the possibility of participating in the Edmonton Marathon again, Walz indicated that his initial response would have been negative, but he understands that mistakes happen and would think about running in the event again.
“Looking forward, we will reassess our certification processes with our partners to ensure this issue does not arise again,” Keogh stated.
On Wednesday, the Boston Athletic Association informed CBC News that it cannot accept modified results if the race distance was incorrect or if participants went off course.
However, the association confirmed to The Canadian Press that if an athlete ran a longer distance than required but still achieved a qualifying time for the marathon, they would still qualify.