The top finishers in the Beijing Half Marathon have been disqualified after an unexpected turn of events at the finish line. During the race, three African runners seemingly stepped aside to let a Chinese competitor, He Jie, win the race on Sunday. This unusual gesture led to questions and scrutiny from spectators and officials alike.
Disqualification and Investigation
Following the race, all four runners involved in the controversial finish were disqualified. The race organizers, in a statement shared with CCTV, disclosed that the African runners, Willy Mnangat and Robert Keter of Kenya, and Dejene Hailu of Ethiopia, were initially hired as pacemakers to assist He in breaking the Chinese half-marathon record. However, they were not supposed to compete as regular entrants. The investigation found that the pacemakers slowed down towards the end of the race, ultimately leading to He’s victory.
Consequences and Apology
The committee formed to look into the incident decided to withdraw the runners’ trophies, medals, and bonuses. The organizers issued an apology and expressed their commitment to learning from this episode. Xtep, the race sponsor, acknowledged their responsibility in the matter and accepted the penalties imposed by the organizing committee. Moving forward, measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in future road running events.
During the race, He Jie completed the course in 1:03:44, falling just one second short of the record he had been aiming to break.
