The USATF has found itself in a storm over a technicality that’s impacting Team USA’s chances on the world stage. Ahead of the 2025 International Association of Ultrarunners 24-Hour World Championship, a little-known rule requiring verbal confirmation of an athlete’s withdrawal has triggered a dispute that could leave the US women’s team one runner short in a global event. 

The American athlete and running coach, Zach Bitter, took to X and criticized a rule that turned the gears for the American team at the 2025 24-Hour World Championship. He stated, “Once you think USATF can’t bungle the sport of running anymore, you learn at a World Championships (in this case the 24 hour), if an athlete on the team, decides to not show up, they need verbal confirmation of withdraw in order to replace the runner with an alternate.” This rule held true even though the team made multiple attempts to contact the missing athlete and deemed it safe to assume that they’d remain absent. This year, it happened with two-time 24-Hour World Championship gold medalist Camille Herron. 

Well, Herron decided not to go to the 24-Hour World Championship this time. But she hadn’t really withdrawn verbally. This meant that the American team would have to compete with only five athletes in the race, instead of six. And an alternate ultrarunner wouldn’t be able to participate in the race till the organization received a verbal confirmation from Herron. Zach Bitter continued, “I suspect this rule will get updated after this year, as I cannot imagine USATF thought someone would weaponize it.”

Well, it’s not like Herron didn’t confirm her stance at this year’s 24-Hour World Championship. She sent a post on X regarding her issues. And that was the save that the US Team was waiting for. 

Things might just work out for Team USA after Camille Herron’s confession

Taking to X, Camille Herron stated, “After months of communication & follow-up since June w/ USATF & legal counsel, I didn’t receive assurance from the IAU that my reasonable disability accommodation request will be supported at the 24-Hour World Championship.” According to her website, last year, she was diagnosed with some neurodivergent conditions, like Autistic/ADHD. While her request to the IAU wasn’t public, she must have asked for a quieter accommodation. 

And this confession from Herron was the key to solving Team USA’s problem. Bitter replied to his previous X post and stated, “Apparently, USATF has agreed with Pam Smith (team manager) that Camille announcing on social media she was not coming was enough clarity to allow for a substitute to participate as the sixth runner for the USA Women’s 24-Hour World Championships.”

Replacing Camille Herron, Stella Springer will now race for the American team at the 1.5km loop course in Albi, France. With the issue now resolved, Bitter was pretty glad. He went on to cheer the six women in the team and wrote. With all this drama, we can certainly expect the USATF to bring in some major changes in the 2026 season. But do you think a verbal withdrawal should be important to swap athletes at major events?