Running influencer enrages participants at New York City Marathon
Matt Choi is alleged to have run Sunday's marathon with illegal assistance from someone on an ebike
Photo by:
Kevin Morris
Running influencer Matt Choi, 29, of Austin, Texas, ran the Sunday’s New York City Marathon, finishing in 2:57:15. But his participation drew some negative reactions from other runners and supporters, who took to Reddit to complain about the fact that he was accompanied by someone riding an ebike–which is not allowed, partly because it creates a safety hazard for other runners on a crowded marathon course.
It wasn’t the first time Choi has been observed doing this in a road race. We first wrote about him in early 2023, when he was reported being followed by a mobile camera crew on ebikes at the Austin Marathon. And another poster pointed out a similar Reddit thread after the NYRR Brooklyn Half in May 2024.
The New York City Marathon is organized by the New York Road Runners (NYRR). Here’s what the NYRR rules (which apply to all NYRR races, except for kids’ races) say about assisting runners: “Unofficial pacers or other unregistered participants are not permitted on the course, nor are they permitted to provide assistance. A participant who receives assistance during an event from anyone other than official medical personnel may be disqualified.”
Influencer under fire for blocking Austin Marathon route with ebikes
One poster said he and numerous other runners missed being able to get water, because the ebike (rumoured to be ridden by Choi’s brother) was blocking their path to the water station. “I was one of the runners that missed my water,” they posted. “Luckily, another runner saw me miss it because of the bike swiping by and shared their cup with me.” There were even reports the ebike ran into some runners.
As another poster pointed out, “There are real celebrities who can run these races without a crew following them.”
In early 2023, after the Austin Marathon, Choi addressed the issue directly in a TikTok:
@mattchoi6 Replying to @manchuwok1 bikes during a marathon! #runners #running #austin #marathon #speed #bikes #media #content
In the post, Choi claims his crew all had media credentials for the Austin Marathon, but he doesn’t address the issue of them riding ebikes on the course (which would not be allowed, even if they had press passes).
Some posters were as annoyed with NYRR for not enforcing their own rules as they were with Choi: “Police and volunteers constantly tell the support crowd to back away, yet this is allowed to happen.”
We reached out to the NYRR for comment, but they had not yet replied by the time of publication.
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