The winner of last Sunday’s Marine Corps Marathon 10K was disqualified for race-crashing, according to a Marine Corps Marathon spokesperson.
The man, whose name has been removed from the official results list, was from France and won the 6.2-mile race in 32:20 minutes. However, he later admitted he wore a friend’s bib and was not registered for the sold-out event, which drew 10,000 runners. The Marine Corps Marathon now recognizes 25-year-old Stephn Gedron of Massachusetts as the official 10K winner with a time of 33:19.
While race-crashing is not condoned by race organizers, it’s a common act among the running community. Illegal bib exchanges can be a headache for organizers, especially if an injury occurs and the runner is unidentifiable from the false bib information. In 2012 a Virginia man became partially paralyzed during a mud run while wearing a woman’s bib. A lawsuit brought against the race organizers was ultimately dismissed.
“Though the MCM appreciates all participants whether from the United States or abroad, the MCM does not condone the illegal exchange of bibs,” race director Rick Nealis said in a statement released today. While legal bib exchanges and transfers are allowed for the Marine Corps Marathon, the option is not permitted for the 10K.
