Photo © Demerzel21 | Dreamstime.com
The headlines spoke for themselves.
Running Influencer Enrages Participants at New York City Marathon.
Oh, and of course, they were also brutal: Dude, You Were Being Filmed by a Guy on an E-Bike? [Bleep!] Off. Except that there was no censorship on the web.
The story: Matthew Choi, a so-called social media influencer, got the big DQ, as well as a lifetime ban, from the New York City Marathon after he had friends follow him on e-bikes, filming his every move.
His actions flew in the face of a rule that was posted in advance (including on social media where he would surely have seen it), banning bicycles on the course.
In previous years, NBC News noted, “eager cyclists have cruised along the 26-mile route of the New York City Marathon in the dark and early morning hours before the race officially gets underway. This year, however, the New York Road Runners banned cyclists from riding the marathon route. Organizers say safety concerns have been raised by volunteers, prompting the change. Last year, at least one cyclist hit a pedestrian on the course.”
Additionally, noted experts, having supporters, fans, friends, family members or anything else on the course means breaking the rule against being paced by anyone. The New York Road Runners, who organize the New York City Marathon have rules that apply to all NYRR races, except for kids’ races.
And the rules about assisting runners are very clear: “Unofficial pacers or other unregistered participants are not permitted on the course, nor are they permitted to provide assistance. A participant who receives assistance during an event from anyone other than official medical personnel may be disqualified.”
Worth noting: These rules are also followed by USA Track & Field, the national governing body for the sport of running in the USA, and by World Athletics, the international governing body.
And let there be no mistake; runners in what turned out to be the largest marathon ever were angry and completely willing to take to social media on the issue. One poster said he and numerous other runners missed being able to get water, because the ebike (rumored to be ridden by Choi’s brother) was blocking their path to the water station.
“I was one of the runners that missed my water,” one runner posted. “Luckily, another runner saw me miss it because of the bike swiping by and shared their cup with me.”
There were additional reports the ebike ran into some runners.
But, of course, say race directors, there is always someone who thinks they are far more important than rules. And according to Runner’s World, “this was not the first time Choi has courted controversy at a marathon. In 2023, he ran the Houston Marathon wearing someone else’s bib. (Some races allow bib transfers; the Houston Marathon does not.) Choi apologized at the time.” (He has since apologized for his behavior at the NYC Marathon as well.)
Choi did post on his site that his friends at the NYC Marathon had media credentials; however, he did not address the issue of the fact that even with press passes, bicycles on course are illegal.
It’s also notable that plenty of actual celebrities (meaning national news correspondents, actors, singer, dancers and others – not just self-styled influencers) ran in the NYC Marathon without causing commotion. (Notable: Nev Schulman, host of MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show, had suffered a major bike accident earlier this year and broke his neck. He completed the race as a guide for a blind runner.)
Race directors and running officials nationwide have been ready to step up with their own comments. Jay Holder, executive director of Running USA, noted, “Most major road races do not allow any type of wheeled conveyance that is not acting in an official capacity. This is simply a safety measure.”
And, he notes, the scope of the race makes the presence of bikes especially dangerous. “Allowing bikes on the course with thousands of runners creates a dangerous situation for runners especially in an event like the TCS New York City Marathon where more than 50,000 runners are on the road. Imagine if just 1/5 of those runners wanted a friend to cycle alongside them! The only wheeled conveyances on the course are usually those of race officials, spotters and medical personnel and of course the wheelchair and push assist athletes.”
But if Choi is taking heat, so are marathon officials. Some posters were as annoyed with NYRR for not enforcing their own rules as they were with Choi, noting “Police and volunteers constantly tell the support crowd to back away, yet this is allowed to happen.”
Accusations of not only entitlement but preferential treatment were flying and at last check, NYRR had not responded to requests for comment.
About the Author
