WATCH: Kenyan runner leading Xiamen Marathon stops to let others catch up

The 2024 Xiamen Marathon in China was a bizarre race from start to finish, with many of the pre-race favourites dropping out early or not showing up, and even a Kenyan runner stopping at 30.5 kilometres (while leading the race) to let others catch up.

Kenyan marathoner Benson Mutiso had around a 100m lead on the field at 30K. Yet, what happened next from Mutiso defied all logic. Instead of holding his pace, Mutiso shocked everyone by stopping, looking back and letting rivals catch up. He even strolled to the side to cheer on runners chasing him before rejoining the race at the back of the lead pack.

Lo de Mutiso en la Maratón de Xiamen.
Está en cabeza en el km 30, se para, se deja pillar, anima a sus rivales y reinicia la marcha.
30 segundos surrealistas.
Resultados https://t.co/j05rhsI9z6 pic.twitter.com/93Io057XH4

— Óscar Fdez. (@gabyandersengz) January 8, 2024

Despite his role as a pacer being revealed later, many were still confused by Mutiso’s actions, since pacers don’t normally run far ahead of the field or try to win the race. The only logical explanation is that he wanted to finish his pacing job strong. (He ended up dropping out at around 33 km.)

Mutiso is a young Kenyan marathoner with only one race on his resume (an eighth-place finish in Hannover, Germany, in March 2023 (2:19).

His move wasn’t the only strange thing at the 2024 Xiamen Marathon. Another surprise was the withdrawal of pre-race favourite, former half-marathon world record holder Kibiwott Kandie, who has a personal best of 2:04:48 from a month ago at the 2023 Valencia Marathon. Kandie reportedly had problems with one of his sneakers, but it did not stop him from posing in pictures at 20K.

The race also tweeted an image of Ethiopian marathoner Ruti Aga, listing the 2019 Tokyo Marathon champion on the elite start list for the marathon. Aga did not start the race, nor was she even in China. She ran the Dubai Marathon (which was also Sunday), finishing second in a PB of 2:18:09.

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Ethiopian duo Asefa Boki Kebebe and Bekelech Gudeta won the C&D Xiamen Marathon in 2:06:46 and 2:22:54, respectively. Kebebe upset a quality field that contained three sub-2:05 runners, falling just 27 seconds shy of the course record of 2:06:19.

For full results from the 2024 Xiamen Marathon check here.