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Pennsylvania marathoner loses title in brutal fashion after costly mistake
By Joe Kinsey
Published April 20, 2026
Famous race car driver Ricky Bobby once said, "If you ain't first, you're last."
Carson Mello, a marathon runner in Delaware, learned a hard lesson about giving 110 percent to the finish line over the weekend when he slowed up to celebrate and was then passed by another runner who snatched the Delaware Marathon Running Festival's title right out of his hands.
Marathon runner Joshua Jackson crosses the finish line as Carson Mello seemingly slows up with a few feet to go. (Corrigan Sports Enterprises)
The winning runner, Joshua Jackson, 24, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania finished in 2:43:14, according to ChronoTrack.com. Mello, 24, of Fayetteville, PA finished in a time of 2:43:15 after coasting to the line.
Marathon officials took to Facebook Sunday night to post photos of Mello easing up while Jackson grimaced in pain as he gave 100 percent effort to the line. Look at the woman's face as Jackson comes out of nowhere with Melo grabbing his wrist seemingly to hit stop on his watch.
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Something else to note in this photo is that it appears Jackson is holding a phone.
Marathon runner Joshua Jackson, 24, crosses the line after chasing down his opponent, Carson Mello, at the line to win the Delaware Marathon Running Festival. (Corrigan Sports Enterprises)
"Oh man, the look on 2nd places face... he's got his hand on his watch ready to pause it and he's not even over the line. Don't understand why you would ever risk slowing down/ celebrating early before the finish. Huge congrats to the winner, that kick was outstanding," a woman commented on Facebook.
The consensus on Facebook is that Mello should've known better.
"You’d think that these people would learn. How many times have we seen someone so comfortably in the lead and start celebrating before they actually cross the finish line? There should never EVER be more than one," runner Carl Kondrach wrote in the comments. "After the first guy (or gal) got victimized by their own inattentiveness (at best) or own stupidity (at worst,) every single person on the verge of victory should have their respective heads on a swivel making sure the second place competitor is not sneaking up on them nor out-hustling them. I simply do not understand how the second "victim" of this scenario (or any other potential/future victims) could/would allow this to happen."
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It's already been a busy year for marathon content on the Internet. Back in March, a half-marathon runner lost a championship and a shot at a world title when a guide vehicle made a wrong turn. Runner Jess McClain followed the vehicle and paid the price.
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The crowd was stunned at the Delaware Marathon Running Festival when Joshua Jackson beat Carson Mello to win the marathon. (Corrigan Sports Enterprises)
"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," McClain wrote afterwards on social media. "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.
https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/pennsylvania-marathoner-loses-title-brutal-fashion-costly-mistake