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The athlete who was leading the women's race at the US half-marathon championships until she was mistakenly directed off the course by a guide vehicle is urging USA Track & Field to rectify an outcome that denied her a place in the world road running championships.

Jess McClain held a commanding lead with approximately 1.5 miles remaining when she and three other competitors followed the guide vehicle down an incorrect route. McClain revealed in an Instagram post that she followed a police escort, official lead vehicle and a media motorcycle off the course for roughly one kilometre.

"I had to come to a stop, make a tight & complete u-turn & run back onto course as a national championship title & a world team spot slipped away," she wrote. "I'm going try my hardest to walk away from this weekend remembering the joy I felt in those moments where I thought I was on my way to becoming a National Champion & finally make Team USA outright."

McClain, who hails from Phoenix, ultimately finished ninth. The next two athletes who followed her off the course - Emma Hurley of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Ednah Kurgat of Roswell, Georgia - placed 12th and 13th, respectively.

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Molly Born of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, crossed the finish line first in one hour, nine minutes, 43 seconds and took home the £15,000 prize.

"I don't really feel like the U.S. champion just because of the whole situation that went down at the end," Born said in an interview with the Fast Women YouTube channel.

McClain and three other runners who followed the lead vehicle lodged appeals after their protest regarding the finishing order was dismissed.

USATF stated in a release that the jury of appeals determined "the event did not meet USATF Rule 243 and that the course was not adequately marked at the point of misdirection. This violation contributed to the misdirection taken by the athletes within the top four at the time of misdirection. However, the jury of appeals finds no recourse within the USATF rulebook to alter the results order of finish. The results order of finish as posted is considered final."

The top three finishers secure qualification for the world championships on September 20 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The USATF acknowledged that the American squad would not be officially confirmed until May and that the governing body would continue examining what occurred in Atlanta.

"Whilst we understand athletes are eager to resolve this issue expeditiously, our process will ensure an ultimate decision is in the best interest of all the athletes involved," the USATF said.

The USATF confirmed that lead vehicles are supplied and overseen by the local organising committee, which was the Atlanta Track Club.

"Mistakes happen & I am sure those who were leading us feel terrible about the outcome," McClain wrote. "I just hate that the athletes are ALWAYS the ones who pay the price (literally $$$)... time & time again."

She expressed her trust in USATF and the Atlanta Track Club to "somehow make it right for the athletes who were led off course... It sounds like conversations are still being had, so I am choosing to remain hopeful that we'll soon have a little more clarity than what we left Atlanta with & actionable steps forward."

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