Marathoners shouldn't be required to do a lot of thinking.
Anybody who has ever attempted to run the 26-mile, 385-yard distance understands how taxing it can be both physically and mentally.
Even the world's most elite runners can't prepare for what happened to six Kenyan and Ethiopian runners during the 32nd running of the Venice Marathon Sunday.
Race favorites Abdulahl Dawud (Ethiopia) and Kenyans Gilbert Kipleting Chumba, Kipkemei Mutai and David Kiprono Metto were among the leading group which followed a motorcycle off the course at the 16-mile mark, covering several hundred meters before being made aware of their error and turning back. They lost around two minutes.
This allowed Italian Eyob Faniel, who runs for the local Venice Marathon Club and was about one minute behind the lead pack, to win the race in 2 hours, 12 minutes, 16 seconds.
ESPN video of the race shows a 30-second clip of the lead pack being herded down the wrong street, and then throwing their arms up in the air when they saw traffic headed directly at them.
Noted Kenyan runner Just Lagat posted the ESPN video and tweeted: "This makes me sick!!"
The Kenyan runners were unable to recover, and Faniel, 25, assumed the lead and went to win by more than a minute.
He became the first Italian to win the race in 22 years.
Fight, Eagles, fight
Desert Hot Springs didn't even get finish celebrating senior night Friday night when a fight broke out in the stands before a scheduled game against rival Coachella Valley and administrators cancelled the game in southern California.
No one was seriously hurt, but Desert Hot Springs decided to cancel the game for safety, Athletic Director Kai Lyles said.
Desert Hot Springs Coach Bill Johnson said it was an unfortunate outcome for everyone who had come to the game.
"Everybody out here wanted to play a football game," Johnson said. "This was a chance for two communities to come together and do something positive, and when poor decisions get made and control gets lost, then everybody loses."
The Golden Eagles (0-8) should have felt right at home.
Fake headline I
• From satirical website At TheKicker.com:
"Adam Silver approves huge order for Warriors vs. Cavaliers 2018 NBA Finals shirts."
Fake headline II
• From satirical website At TheOnion.com:
"MLB warns home-run hitters league almost out of balls."
Fact of the Week
Thursday, Oct. 19 marked the 17th time that the Big Four of pro sports leagues -- MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL -- all played games on the same day. The first was on Oct. 17, 1971.
Talking the talk
• Dodger fan Keith Hupp, 54, to AP, on how he managed to nab two home-run balls in four days during the NLCS: "I'm old, I've got gray hair and a bum shoulder. I do have a good glove."
Losing proposition
ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, on Vegas oddsmakers giving New York's NBA teams 1,000-1 odds to win the title: "Which means if you were to bet $100 on the Knicks or Nets you would lose $100."
QUIZ
When is the late time the Golden State Warriors started an NBA season with a 1-2 record.
ANSWER
They started the 2009-2010 season 1-2 and finished 26-56.
Sports on 10/23/2017