Slow train blocks marathon in Pennsylvania

Published September 15, 2016

An ill-timed, slow-moving train in Pennsylvania has derailed some runners' dreams of competing in the next Boston Marathon.

The Lehigh Valley Health Network Via Marathon was underway Sunday when a train crossed the race course near Allentown, stopping some runners for minutes.

Marathon organizers said they gathered information from affected runners and shared it with the Boston Athletic Association.

Via Marathon Responds to Train Incident. See full statement here: https://t.co/G0MUq2dxFq
— Via of Lehigh Valley (@ViaLehighValley) September 12, 2016

But the association said Wednesday it cannot accept any adjusted race times. Only the official times recorded Sunday will count for determining which participants qualified for the Boston Marathon.

Via Marathon officials said they had received assurances a freight train would not affect the race, and apologized to runners for the disruption.

Registration for the Boston Marathon began Monday.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/slow-train-blocks-marathon-in-pennsylvania