Cheating runner catches a bus to the finish

A runner in a British marathon has admitted to “making a mistake” after being accused of jumping on a bus for part of the race.

According to the BBC News, the runner, Rob Sloan, came in third during Sunday’s Kielder Marathon, but was stripped of his title after witnesses claim they saw him hop on a bus about 8K short of the end of the race, then jumping off to run across the finish line.

Event organizer, Northumbrian Water, told the BBC Sloan had admitted to them he did not complete the course.

“Rob Sloan had apparently made the decision to withdraw from the race at approximately 20 miles due to fatigue,” race organizers said in a statement. “After returning to the Leaplish Park area he decided to run the closing section of the course and crossed the finish line in third place.”

Sloan, however, later told the BBC he was angry over the accusation and that he did not cheat.

“I’m upset and angry that someone wants to cast these aspersions,” he said. “It’s laughable is what it is, where they’ve come from I don’t know.”