London Marathon launches investigation into mid-race aid station incident

We are aware of the incident in Deptford yesterday, London Marathon are investigating.

— Buxton Water (@buxtonwater) April 25, 2016

Footage of an aid station at the London Marathon on April 24 is making rounds on social media as locals (not working at the race) are seen collecting packages of bottled water during the race. The incident, which took place in Deptford in southeast London, is believed to have taken place at the 13K point (eight-mile mark) of the race.

“We will be investigating the matter further, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police, as part of our event debrief,” says event director Hugh Brasher.

The mass start of the race began at 10 a.m. local time. According to the London Marathon course guide, a six-hour marathon runner would arrive at the 13K mark of the course at approximately 11:50 a.m. According to Daily Mail, the incident is believed to have occurred at 1:15 p.m., well after many runners had passed.

Buxton Water, the supplier of the bottles, told Canadian Running that “Buxton Water is supplied at official London Water stations, for the benefit of runners. We are aware of an incident at one of the stations and the London Marathon organisers have confirmed they will be investigating further.”

Since there were approximately 39,000 runners at the mass start, certain runners located at the back of the pack began the race at a later time because they waited for other runners to clear the start line. One runner, for example, who finished in just under six hours began the race 25 minutes after the gun went off (10:25 a.m.).

In the video, runners remain on course but much of the mass had gone by earlier in the morning. A Buxton representative can also be seen at the beginning of the video and shortly after a race vehicle passes by without investigating.

It’s unclear whether locals were told they were allowed to take the bottles. Races often have leftover water. London Marathon Events Limited, the organizers of the London Marathon, also hosts other road races throughout the year.

Deptford, the area in which the incident is believed to have occurred, has experienced an economic downturn since the shipping industry vacated the area in the early 2000s.

Footage of the incident can be seen below. The man who filmed the incident was wearing a Buxton hat.

There were a number of notable finishers at Sunday’s London Marathon including Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer, who finished the race in under four hours on the day of the season six premiere.