Victor Kiplangat allowed Uganda to win the first marathon gold medal in its history at Saturday’s Commonwealth Games, despite a late-stage penalty, Ouest-France reports.
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About a kilometer from the finish, the runner took the wrong route. At a point where there was no barrier, the 22-year-old athlete chose the wrong path, walking about 40 meters before reversing his steps.
However, this mistake did not prevent him from winning the race, but perhaps robbed him of a record.
Victor Kiplangat finished the marathon in 2:10:55, more than a minute and a half ahead of his closest rival. Nonetheless, his time is almost two minutes behind the all-time record at the Games set by Ian Thompson in 1974 (2:09:12).