11,000 Runners in Mexico City Disqualified from Marathon After Caught Cheating
Mexico City marathon reportedly disqualified over 11,000 runners after allegedly discovered that they were cheating.
The Mexico City Marathon organizers have taken action against approximately 11,000 participants for alleged cheating, as reported by the Spanish newspaper Marca. These actions were prompted by an investigation into the runners’ “unsportsmanlike” behavior during the race held on August 27.
Complaints had arisen regarding some runners using cars, bicycles, and public transportation to skip portions of the course. This disqualification affects more than a third of the total 30,000 racers.
The disqualifications were a result of runners missing mandatory checkpoints placed every 5 kilometers along the 42.195-kilometer race route. The Sports Institute of Mexico City, responsible for the marathon, announced in a recent statement that they would identify and nullify the registration times of those participants who displayed unsportsmanlike conduct during the XL Mexico City Marathon Telcel 2023.
In their statement to Marca, race organizers emphasized that this event is not only a significant celebration for the city’s residents but also an opportunity to uphold the essential values of sportsmanship. It’s worth noting that the Mexico City Marathon holds the prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Status, which is awarded to events that adhere to the highest standards of planning, organization, and execution.
“The Mexico City Sports Institute informs that it will proceed to identify those cases in which participants of the XL Mexico City Marathon Telcel 2023 have demonstrated an unsportsmanlike attitude during the event and will invalidate their registration times,” race organizers said in a statement to Marca.
“This great event not only represents an outstanding celebration for all the inhabitants of the capital, but also an occasion to reaffirm the transcendental values of sport,” they added based on the article of ESPN.
Disqualifications have been a recurring issue in this annual race, with around 6,000 runners being denied finisher medals in 2017 due to cheating accusations, primarily related to cutting parts of the course. Additionally, in the 2018 event, 3,090 participants were disqualified, mainly for course cutting or not completing the entire distance before crossing the finish line.
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