American runner loses marathon title due to mistake by course vehicle

The 36-year-old from Los Angeles was leading the race on March 22, accompanied by a course bicycle.

At the 21 km mark, he was instructed to turn around. However, this turnaround point was accidentally placed about 1.6 km earlier than the official 22.5 km mark.

Enowitz crossed the finish line first with an impressive time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 10 seconds.

However, data from his Strava app later revealed he had only run 39.65 km, falling about 2.4 km short of the standard 42.195 km distance.

Initially, Enowitz assumed the organizers had simply designed a shorter course. It wasn’t until he returned to the hotel room that he discovered his result had been canceled.

Had Enowitz run the correct route, he would have finished in roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes. That time would have guaranteed him a qualifying spot in next year’s Boston Marathon.

Instead, the victory was awarded to the second-place finisher, Lupe Palalia of San Jose, who completed the race in 2 hours, 35 minutes and 49 seconds.

Even if Enowitz had taken a full 15 minutes to run the missing 2.54 km, he still would have won the race. However, organizers can only recognize results for runners who complete the full distance.

According to Canadian Running MagazineEnowitz petitioned to have his result reinstated. The organizers declined, opting to refund his entry fee instead and offer him a spot in the 2027 race.

This is not the first time the Modesto Marathon has faced issues with route coordination.

In 2022, runner CJ Albertson was initially disqualified after a course vehicle instructed him to make a wrong turn, adding approximately 400 m to his total distance. Albertson appealed and he was reinstated as the champion because he had run more than the required distance.

Prior to 2024, local police officers served as the course guides for the event. To cut costs, organizers shifted to using volunteers. While the 2025 event went smoothly, the issue returned in 2026.

A similar incident occurred at the U.S. Half Marathon Championships earlier this month, when the leading group of women was directed off-course by a vehicle with approximately 1.6 km remaining. As a result, three athletes, Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat, fell out of the podium standings and lost their automatic qualifying spots on the national team for the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships.

For leading athletes, navigating the course is not the top priority. They usually place their trust in the course vehicles and volunteers whose job is to ensure they follow the correct route. Even when athletes study the course beforehand, remembering the precise location of every turn while running is not easy, especially for those who participate for the first time.