TRAGIC! Just 1 Mile from the Finish, Dozens of Runners in This Greek Marathon Were Led Off Course by Indescribably Beautiful Female Singing
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Dozens of runners in a Greek marathon last weekend were led off the course with about one mile to go, Dumb Runner has learned, lured by music described as “so indescribably beautiful, no man could resist it.”
The snafu, which occurred during the Odýsseia Marathon, happened shortly after the 40K mark (about 25 miles), race organizers said, as runners approached a fork in the road.
“Despite clear signage and course marshals pointing everyone the right way, a large group of runners broke the other way,” they wrote in a statement shared online. “According to several witnesses as well as interviews with the affected runners themselves, they were led astray by some alluring music.”
“Specifically,” the statement continued, “female singing.”
At least 56 competitors were involved in the diversion, organizers said.
“Calling this music ‘alluring’ is a severe understatement,” said one affected runner, who requested anonymity. “I mean, it was sublime. I was completely entranced, compelled to follow it to its source.”
That source, according to several witnesses, turned out to be a popular tavern just a few hundred meters away, called Scylla & Charybdis.
“Who knows why, but about a dozen women were there on the patio, just singing,” said the runner. “I don’t remember what they were singing; I just remember it was the most enticing melody I’ve ever heard.”
By the time that runner and his fellow competitors came to their senses and made their way back to the course, they had each lost at least 20 minutes.
“It was wild, because we sort of knew, even in the moment, that following this music was going to cost us, but we didn’t care,” the runner said. “We were powerless to resist.”
A handful of runners protested later to race organizers, with some demanding adjustments to their finishing times—a request that organizers denied.
“Our liability waiver specifically mentions this very scenario,” they said. “And we make a point of recommending that our runners plug their ears with beeswax before starting the race.”
“It’s a Greek marathon, for crying out loud. This is on (the affected runners), not on us.”
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