A frustrating mistake costs a runner a title and a huge amount of cash:

Ethiopian runner Senbere Teferi who won the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta a year ago, had a seemingly insurmountable lead ahead of this year's 10K competition to win back-to-back titles — until she followed a police motorcycle, which had been leading the race, off the course, allowing Fotyen Tesfay to take first place instead.

The defending champion was closing in on the finish line, but that wrong turn cost Teferi not only four seconds off the winning time, but also she lost out on the $10,000 first-place prize and had to settle for the $3,000 third-place reward.

It's a good reminder of how easy it is to get distracted when you're in the zone.

The 28-year-old Teferi has been making headlines for years, including at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Athletics when at 16 she took silver in the 1500 meters.