Chinese runners accused of cheating in Boston
Runners banned from future competition in China due to Boston Marathon cheating
Three Chinese runners have been disqualified from future competition in China after cheating at the Boston Marathon. Xinhuanet reports that the runners are banned for life from competing in road races.
RELATED: 13,000 alleged cheaters at Mexico City Marathon
The Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) found two runners, Wu and Zhao, guilty of cheating in their applications and the other runner, Zhang, was guilty of bib swapping.
RELATED: Traffic cameras catch mass cheating at Shenzhen half-marathon
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwSJTERBsSO/
In a race like the Boston Marathon, where qualified entry is a benchmark for many runners, forging qualification certificates is taken seriously. In 2018, the BAA announced that it would be tightening qualification times. B.A.A. Chief Executive Officer Tom Grilk said in a September 2018 press release, “We have adjusted the qualifying standards for the 2020 Boston Marathon, as the number of marathoners who have submitted applications to run the Boston Marathon has increased significantly during the most recent two registration years. We forecast the interest in running Boston as continuing.” All age-group qualifying standards are five minutes faster than the previous standards.
For considered entry to the 2020 event, male runners ages 18-34 will have to run a sub-3 hour marathon. For women of the same age, they’re looking at running a sub-3:30 marathon. Those are fast times. A complete list of the new standards can be found here.
RELATED: Woman riding bike during marathon gets lifetime ban
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
