An NCAA cross-country runner lost a year of eligibility for participating in a “fun run” where several of the runners were wearing costumes.

Really. One of the runners was in a tuxedo. Another in a gorilla suit. Another in a bird costume.

The goofy, loosely organized 16-minute run cost BYU’s Jared Ward a year of eligibility.

The story goes that while taking a year off before college to go on a mission with the Mormon church, Ward flew to California and attended a regional cross country race that his younger brother was competing in. Before the sanctioned race, the organizers of the event decided to put on a fun race for coaches, parents and spectators to run in. Ward thought it would be fun, so he hopped alongside the other runners. There were young teens and several grandparent running in the race. And those in costume.

From the Deseret News:

“I had to get in a workout that day anyway, so I thought I’d just jump in the race,” Ward says. “A lot of the entrants try to get a laugh out of the kids, so they wear costumes. I recall someone wearing a tuxedo and another guy in a bird suit and a monkey or gorilla costume. It’s not uncommon.”

When enrolling at BYU, Ward thought he’d be safe and mention the race on his NCAA compliance form.

Again, from the Deseret News:

The NCAA not only ruled that Ward would lose an entire season of cross country for one 16-minute effort, it intimated that he was lucky the penalty wasn’t more severe. BYU appealed twice and was denied twice.

Ward is going to be just fine in life, of course. He’s already begun work on a master’s degree in statistics and is happily married with a child. Still, he has to feel pretty crummy that the NCAA won’t change its mind and let him help No. 5 BYU compete for a national championship.