Running influencer Matt Choi disqualified from New York City Marathon
Choi's result is disqualified and he is banned from future NYRR races
Photo by:
Kevin Morris
On Monday, we published a story about running influencer Matt Choi of Austin, Texas, who ran the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, accompanied by someone riding an ebike. Choi finished the marathon in 2:57:15. Monday evening, the New York Road Runners (NYRR) issued a release stating Choi’s result has been disqualified.
NYRR posted the following statement Monday evening:
“After a review and due to violations of World Athletics rules, and New York Road Runners’ Code of Conduct and Rules of Competition, NYRR has disqualified Matt Choi from the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon and removed him from the results. He has been banned from any future NYRR races.
BACKGROUND
One of the incidents brought to NYRR’s attention was that Choi ran with the assistance of two unauthorized people riding the course on electric bicycles, obstructing runners.
Choi has the right to appeal the decision to NYRR.”
Running influencer enrages participants at New York City Marathon
The issue for race organizers is that it’s against NYRR, USATF and World Athletics rules to receive assistance from someone not registered in the race; the issue for race participants (including many who took to Reddit to complain about Choi) is that ebikes on the course pose a danger to other runners.
Choi has a history of bringing other people onto the course; we first wrote about him in early 2023, when he was reported being followed by a mobile camera crew on e-bikes at the Austin Marathon. And another poster pointed out a similar Reddit thread after the NYRR Brooklyn Half in May 2024. At the time, he rationalized his actions, saying all of his crew members were accredited media. (Media accreditation does not usually include access to the course in the middle of a race, or access by ebike.)
In addition to the TCS New York City Marathon, NYRR also organizes numerous other races, including the United Airlines NYC Half and the RBC Brooklyn Half.
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