“WE’RE NOT HANDING MEDALS OUT THE DAY OF THE RACE, WE DON’T WANT TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM RUNNING THE RACE, QUITE THE CONTRARY. BUT AS THE RACE DIRECTOR AND A RUNNER MYSELF, I WANT EVERY PERSON TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE TO BE A TRUE MARATHONER.” – Javier Carvallo – Mexico City Race Director
After last year’s fiasco, the Mexico City Marathon Race Director Javier Carvallo claimed that they were taking steps to cut down on cheating. Last year over 5,000 runners were disqualified for cutting the course.
It does not appear that the race did enough, if anything, to curtail cheating at the 2018 race. Despite his announcement that they would not be handing out medals on race day, nothing changed. Pictures of runners with their medals are all over social media.
Initial reports out of Mexico City claim that as many as 13,000 runners were suspected of cutting the course in order to claim their medal. Carvallo had hoped that the rates of cheating would fall in line with other major marathons. Clearly that was not the case. This should not be unexpected as there were no obvious steps implemented to stop the cheating.
Both the articles above were from major news outlets in Mexico City. Both articles have been taken down. It is unknown whether they were taken down under political pressure or because of any inaccuracies. What is clear, however, that based on initial findings, the cheating was once again widespread.
Triatlon Mexico has listed dozens of examples on their Facebook page. Just like last year, runners were jumping onto the course midway through or later, in order to claim their prize, the last letter in the series of medals spelling MEXICO.
I cannot as of yet and maybe never will be able to confirm the exact number – results are not yet posted. The only results that have been grabbed are through the runner tracking app.
But the photos and patterns are very similar to what we saw last year when over 5,000 runners were disqualified.
Gold Label Certification
Mexico City Marathon is on the verge of earning Gold Label certification. Certified as Silver for 2018, they have met the criteria for Gold Label certification. Reading through the regulations, there is no criteria for taking steps to minimize course cutting. Doping and electronic timing is required, but, apparently, having 5,000 or more runners cutting your course, and potentially hindering the elite athletes by entering the race in front of them, does not exclude a race from being certified by the IAAF.
Summary
I am sure I will have much more to report on in the coming days and weeks. What is clear is that previous comments by the race director were just hollow promises. They did nothing tangible to stop the cheating or to prevent the cheaters from collecting their medals.
Photos and examples in this articles are courtesy of Triatlon Mexico.
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The IAAF regulations for Gold Label designation are OK, as far as they go, but are rather meaningless for most of us; see https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/d026e1d2-91fd-40ee-847e-34853a115945.pdf for Gold reg’s. They’re mostly concerned with elite athletes, timing, course support, etc. They have no interest in course-cutting by non-elite schlubbs like me… well, like 13000 Mexicans and certain people with double letters. 😉
No one with double letters should be allowed in ANY race!
In fact they shouldn’t be allowed out into civilised single-letter society AT ALL!
You cannot be too careful with those cunning b#£@ards!
There is no mercy being shown on the Triatlon Mexico FB page (and rightly so). Posting screenshots of missing split times along with the offenders’ race photos
2018 CDMX Marathon, Age Group 45-49: 40% of the first 100 runners to cross the finish line cheated… Another year of scandal.
I haven’t been able to see full results by Age Group, where did you find them?
Apparently this reflects a very different cultural understanding where collection of the medal is more compelling than the achievement. Perhaps the medals should just be available for purchase, or given out for a shorter race held around the same time. Then a certificate could be mailed to verified 100% finishers. Do people really display these medals and tell their friends, and eventually themselves, that they finished the whole marathon? That would reflect a very different view of sportsmanship and honesty.
I ran it, start from my start corral and toke me 10km through zigzag overtake runners!, since they were slower so, they create a stopper; and after km 21, there was a bunch, big bunch of people either starting to run, then at km30 , and then at km 35 and km 38 and more at km40; organizer promises do not hand out the medals if you did not run completly the marathon, nevertheless they gave it to everyone, is government event = corrupt and careless;
is a shame for all real marathonist, I am really piss off. They slow and pace you down; but the spectators and supporters were amazing.
Several cheaters are “instagram influencers”, they call themselves trainers , marathon coaches; most of them ladies, and some others sports book writers…
I ran last Sunday, the race is well planned as far as the course (water stations, medical tents, markings, etc) but there is a mind-blowing lack of respect and understanding from a large portion of those who enter the race. I believe is a cultural issue for people of CDMX, it seems they see no issue with cheating! People join starting corrals that clearly are above their possibilities time wise, they enter the race at various points; even spectators crowd the road! The result is a race that does not allow those who trained to have a steady pace, one has to dodge people all the time! Worst part, the cheat then brag about their “accomplishment” in social media. It will be a farce and a disgrace if IAAF awards anything to this race.
https://twitter.com/ArtemisaVarela/status/1033716794459136002
The idiot at the end of the video is priceless. Too dumb not to jump into the lead of the race.
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