Beijing marathoner banned for life after taking bike share during race
When you think you've seen it all
Photo by:
Svetlov Artem/WC
On Nov. 24, the Beijing Marathon organizing committee banned one runner for life after he violated competition rules—riding a bike share for six kilometres of the race.
According to race officials, the runner with bib number E0879 did not follow the prescribed route from start to finish and rode a shared bicycle from 29 km to the 36.5 km mark. Around 37 kilometres, the runner tried to re-enter, attempting to complete the marathon. Race officials flagged his time and suspended him from the results.
“This is a complete violation of the rules and unfair to other runners who completed the race,” organizers stressed in a press release.
The runner, whom officials did not name, was banned for life from the Beijing Marathon and reported to the Chinese Athletic Association for additional penalties.
On Nov. 6, China’s oldest marathon returned for the first time since Oct. 2019. The Chinese capital has been under strict social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 since early 2020.
The race started in Beijing’s historic Tian’anmen Square and finished at Beijing’s National Stadium (also known as the Bird’s Nest), which hosted track and field events at the 2008 Olympics.
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