Organizers of the Beijing half marathon said on Monday they were investigating after footage widely shared online appeared to show three African runners deliberately allowing China’s He Jie to win.
Video clips from Sunday’s race showed Kenyans Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat, Ethiopia’s Dejene Hailu and homer He approaching the finish.
The three African runners can be seen pointing towards the finish line and apparently waving to He in front, as they appear to slow down.
He, the 2023 Asian Games marathon gold medalist, won by one second.
The four remained together for just over 21 kilometers, a broadcaster noted.
“We are investigating and will announce the results to the public as soon as they are available,” a person from the Beijing Sports Department, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP.
The event organizer – the Beijing Center for Sports Competition Management and International Exchange – also said an investigation had been launched.
The incident received significant attention on Chinese social media site Weibo, with some users criticizing what they considered an “embarrassing” outcome.
“This will certainly be the most embarrassing championship of He Jie’s career,” wrote one.
“With such an important organizer and such a well-known event, this truly brings sportsmanship to shame,” the post read.
The international athletics body said it was “aware” of the online images and the investigation into them.
“The integrity of our sport is the highest priority at World Athletics, while this investigation is ongoing we are unable to provide further comment,” communications director Jamie Fox told AFP.
Long-distance running has boomed in recent years among China’s middle class, but there have been numerous cases of cheating and poor organization.
In 2018, at a half marathon in the southern city of Shenzhen, 258 runners were found to have cheated, including many who took shortcuts.
Traffic cameras caught them running through trees to take part in a different part of the race.
In 2019, a woman was filmed riding a rented green bicycle at the Xuzhou International Marathon in eastern China.
She was ordered by race officials to dismount her bike, only to remount it later.
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