This archive report was first published on 21 September 2021.
On September 21, 2021, Omar Ahmed made history at the Great Bristol Run, but not in the way he had hoped. The elite runner, who had entered the 10K event, took a wrong turn and ended up running the half marathon instead.
What Ahmed didn't know was that his detour would earn him a win in the half marathon, with a time of 1:03:08 - nearly five minutes ahead of the competition. However, his victory was short-lived, as he was subsequently disqualified for violating the rules.
"Rules are rules and in this case they say we have to disqualify Omar," said Paul Foster, chief executive of The Great Run Company, in a statement to the BBC.
Despite the disqualification, Ahmed's performance was still recognized, and he was invited to participate in the Great Manchester Run as an elite athlete. The organizers also extended an invitation for him to return to the Great Bristol Run in 2022.
Chris Thompson, who finished with a time of 1:07:53, was declared the winner of the half marathon.
