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The Mexico Marathon organizers have taken action by disqualifying 11,000 runners, following the revelation from electronic trackers that these participants did not complete the entire course.
The 40th-anniversary edition of the race, held in Mexico City on August 27, witnessed the participation of over 30,000 runners.
The decision to disqualify these runners stemmed from an investigation initiated by the Mexico Marathon organizers in response to anonymous complaints filed by participants after the race. These complaints raised concerns that thousands of runners did not cover the full race distance, as reported by Marca.
Runners have been accused of utilizing vehicles and public transport during the race to shorten the 26.22-mile course.
An investigation, utilizing data from the runners’ electronic trackers, reportedly revealed that thousands did not pass through the designated checkpoints on the route.
The Mexico City Sports Institute has confirmed the launch of an investigation into this matter.
“The Mexico City Sports Institute informs that it will take action to identify cases in which participants of the XL Mexico City Marathon Telcel 2023 have demonstrated unsportsmanlike behavior during the event and will consequently invalidate their registration times,” the statement read.
“This significant event not only represents a remarkable celebration for all the residents of the capital but also serves as an opportunity to reaffirm the profound values of sportsmanship.”
“Several runners have reported issues with their electronic trackers, resulting in inaccurate recording of their times as they passed through checkpoints.”
“This is not the first instance where the Mexico Marathon has had to disqualify runners for cheating.”
“In the 2017 race, nearly 6,000 runners were disqualified, with 20 percent of the participants failing to complete the entire course.”
“In the aftermath of the 2018 race, organizers invalidated the results of an additional 3,090 runners.”
