Approximately 11,000 runners who participated in the Mexico City Marathon on August 27th have been disqualified for alleged cheating, according to a report by Spanish newspaper Marca. The disqualifications were the result of an investigation launched by race organizers in response to complaints that some participants had employed unfair means to complete the marathon, including using cars, bicycles, and public transportation to bypass sections of the course.
These disqualified runners make up over a third of the total 30,000 participants in the marathon. Their disqualification stemmed from missing checkpoints that were strategically placed every 5 kilometers along the 42.195-kilometer course.
In response to the cheating allegations and subsequent disqualifications, race organizers issued a statement to Marca: “The Mexico City Sports Institute informs that it will proceed to identify those cases in which participants of the XL Mexico City Marathon Telcel 2023 have demonstrated an unsportsmanlike attitude during the event and will invalidate their registration times. This great event not only represents an outstanding celebration for all the inhabitants of the capital, but also an occasion to reaffirm the transcendental values of sport.”
It’s noteworthy that the Mexico City Marathon holds World Athletics Gold Label Status, an esteemed designation awarded to events that adhere to the highest standards in terms of planning, organization, and execution.
The disqualifications in this marathon are not without precedent. Similar incidents have occurred in previous editions of the race, with approximately 6,000 runners being denied their finishers’ medals amid allegations of cheating in 2017 and another 3,090 facing disqualification in the 2018 event.
