Yesterday’s Pittsburgh Marathon was a little different for some runners yesterday, after the race course got re-routed after the lead runners had finished.
A small microwave oven was found near the course with what appeared to be explosives inside it. The race was stopped for 10 or 12 minutes while the bomb squad moved in, and then rerouted up a block to keep the runners from the area. The finish line remained the same so many runners didn’t even notice the change.
After disabling the device it was determined that it probably wasn’t an explosive, but everything is still being examined. When the device was found, x-rays made it appear suspicious enough to warrant evacuating the area.
I don’t know exactly which streets were used to reroute the course, but given that the possible bomb was found at mile 26 and it was as late in the race as it was, I am going to assume that the re-routed course was a little longer than the original course. Either way, the course that many of the runners ran is no longer going to be certified, since they did not follow the measured course and you can’t certify a course after the fact.
As such, will Pittsburgh still be considered a Boston Qualifying race this year?
Update: Turns out, it wasn’t a bomb, and the course was made a little short.
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