One week ago, Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon, earning himself a $25,000 prize. Hug also nearly set a new course record, which would’ve netted an additional $50,000 in prize money. Alas, he missed a turn near the finish line, forcing him to double back and costing him precious time. This is a shame. However, there are two things to note.

First, this is Hug’s fifth title in Boston, along with a third place finish in 2019. At a minimum, he had raced this course five times prior to last Monday.

Second, Hug’s error occurred when he initially failed to turn right onto Hereford Street. This is perhaps the single most famous portion of one of the world’s best-known marathon courses. “Right on Hereford, left on Boylston” is a very well-known phrase for all who compete in the Boston Marathon. In fact, a company by the name of “Right On, Left On” sells a wide assortment of merchandise with this exact phrase emblazoned on it:

Nevertheless, Hug missed his turn, and lost at least the seven seconds he needed to set a new record. Though he was upset, he made no excuses, blaming only himself. Here’s to his pursuit of a new record next year.