Runner Wins Marathon After Motorcycle Leads Favorites Off Course

Sunday's Venice Marathon was just the second Eyob Ghebrehiwet Faniel ever ran—and yet the Eritrean-born Italian runner won the race, thanks to a wrong turn. A guide motorcycle led the pack of seven runners who were in the lead several hundred meters off course before they realized the mistake and turned back, costing them about two minutes. The incident, which happened about halfway through the race per the International Association of Athletics Federations, ultimately helped to make Faniel the first Italian man to win the marathon in 22 years, NPR reports. (More marathon stories.)