Leading runner loses race due to last-minute mistake.

An Ethiopian Runner’s Wrong Turn Costs Her $10,000 Prize at Peachtree Road Race

An Ethiopian runner, Senbere Teferi, was just yards away from winning a $10,000 prize at the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. However, a wrong turn ended up costing her the money.

Teferi, a two-time Olympian who has represented Ethiopia at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, finished in third place just seconds behind Fotyen Tesfay in the Atlanta race. Unfortunately, she made a wrong turn following a police motorcycle that seemed to be leading the pack in the road race, according to People.

Due to Teferi’s mistake, Tesfay was ultimately crowned the winner of the race, completing it in an impressive 30 minutes and 43 seconds.

Although Teferi managed to rejoin the race, she couldn’t reach first place and instead ended up in third, receiving a prize of $3,000.

Disappointment and Confusion

The organizers of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race released a statement expressing their disappointment over the incident:

As our defending champion, Senbere Teferi, was approaching the finish line, it looks like she momentarily became confused and followed a police motorcycle when it turned off the course. (1/2)

— AJC Peachtree Road Race (@ajcprr) July 4, 2023

According to the AJC, Teferi was leading the race until she made the wrong turn.

“I was really upset by Senbere’s mistake because she was in the front and she was leading, but she took that last turn,” said Tesfay, the winner of the race, according to the New York Post.

“I saw the finish line. At first, I thought they didn’t really show us that well yesterday where the finish was. But after I saw that car turn, I saw the finish sign in front of me, so I pushed ahead. But I was really upset because I really planned to stick with Senbere at the finish.”

A Promising Runner’s Olympic Journey

Teferi participated in her first Olympics at the Summer Games in 2016, where she finished in fifth place in the women’s 5,000 meters. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, she finished sixth in the same event.

This devastating mistake just seconds away from the finish line has cost Teferi the race and the $10,000 prize.

Source: The Western Journal

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