11,000 runners were caught cheating after the Mexico Marathon. The organization had no choice but to exclude more than a third of the 30,000 participants.
Hector Garibay won the marathon in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 23 seconds, but the Bolivian’s strong performance was overshadowed by massive cheating. Thousands of runners could have used cars and even public transportation to improve their time.
The organization’s announcement was a bombshell – ten days into the race. The cheaters were caught by the microchip they carried on their journey. There was a waypoint every five kilometres, but not everyone was registered. Some competitors tried to play the “technical problems” card, but their defense left little impact.
The same is true in 2017
“We know the identity of everyone who showed unsporting behavior. Their times will be deleted,” the organizers explained in a press release. “It is certainly not the first time that cheating has occurred during the Mexico Marathon. In 2017, 6,000 cheaters were caught, but this record has been Crash now.
Widespread cheating was uncovered through tips from racers to race management. The data was then studied, which showed that more than 10,000 people did not adhere to the rules.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.
