Running into trouble

Kent Hollingsworth's third place finish in the Detroit Marathon certainly raised a few eyebrows.

The 40-year-old clocked a time of 2:22:45 but controversy broke out when other leading challengers said they believed he hadn't run the entire course.

Hollingsworth wasn't expected to be one of the leading contenders in the race and he is at least seven years older than every finisher but one in the top 10,

But his prize was taken away from him the following day when organisers decided that he had taken a shortcut along the route.

"I don't have any reason to suspect that he intended to do anything wrong, but he did cut the course," race director Pat Ball said.

"The basis for disqualification came after investigation and several cooperative conversations with him."

With the split times Hollingsworth recorded along the way, Ball said, he would have had to run four-minute miles at some points to keep the pace he claimed.

But she admitted that if Hollingsworth played by the rules, he could be accepted for next year's race.

Although you can bet it won't be a run of the mill affair.

Star for a day

A spectator at an NFL match decided that he should be the star of the show - and not the players - and even went as far as offering them his autograph.

The fan ran onto the pitch during the fourth quarter to join the San Francisco 49ers' huddle during the game against the New Orleans Saints.

49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia said: "He was a star in his own mind."

The unidentified fan tried to sign the jersey of centre Jeremy Newberry.