The Venice marathon was a glorious screw up that reached its crescendo when the entire leading pack was led off the route by a wayward escort motorcycle, causing them all to lose.

The accident happened 25 kilometers into the marathon, well beyond the point of no return. Runners took a right-hand turn after a motorcycle guided them the wrong way, which allowed for Venice native (and unknown runner) Eyob Faniel to make up the one-minute gap he was trailing by and streak past the pack, who had been led onto the on-ramp of a freeway.

The detour may have only been a few hundred meters, but by the time the pack joined the rest of the race they’d lost two minutes — too much to make up. Faniel’s win was the first time in 22 years an Italian runner has won the Venice Marathon, and it came under the most bizarre circumstances.

People all over the running world are slamming how the event was handled, but the president of the Venice Marathon Club is calling it a success.

Edizione memorabile macchiata da una grave smagliatura nella gestione del percorso che però non pregiudica il successo. Presidente VMClub — Venicemarathon (@Venicemarathon) October 22, 2017

“A memorable edition stained by a serious error in course management does not affect the success. President of VMClub”

Of course, it helps when Faniel, who won the marathon is a member of the Venice Marathon Club. I’d probably call it a success, too.