Bristol Half-marathon winner disqualified for Wrong race

 

Winner of the Great Bristol Run Half-Marathon was disqualified after running the wrong race by mistake on Sunday.

Omer Ahmed put in “an impressive performance” at the Great Bristol Run on Sunday 19 September after he won the half-marathon.

But organisers of the event have now disqualified the runner after it emerged he was meant to run the 10km instead.

The two courses  held on the same day for the first time – overlapped and Mr Ahmed took the wrong route, running the half-marathon despite signing up for and intending to run 10km.

Omer Ahmed and Chloe Richardson were the first male and female winners of the half-marathon

Omer Ahmed was thought to have won the men’s half-marathon, while Chloe Richardson remains the first woman to finish the event.

Organisers said they first learned of the mix-up following complaints from other runners.

“Omar Ahmed, who put in an impressive performance at the Great Bristol Run on Sunday, has unfortunately been disqualified as he was originally signed up to run the 10K distance and not the half marathon,” organisers said.

“All results are subject to ratification by officials, and although Ahmed was initially declared winner of yesterday’s Great Bristol Run Half Marathon, after objections from other athletes and subsequent investigation, he has now been disqualified and the results reissued.

“Unfortunately, as he entered the 10k as an elite runner and not the half marathon, he was not officially part of the half marathon race.

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Ahmed went the wrong way when he reached the point where the course diverged for the two distances.

This means a new winner of the half marathon has now been declared  Chris Thompson, of Aldershot, Farnham & District AC.

He ran the half marathon in a time of 1:07:53, finishing four minutes after Mr Ahmed.