1 week Ago
A California runner was stripped of his marathon title Sunday for accepting a cup of water from his father who patrolled the 26.2-mile route on his bicycle. Esteban Prado, 24, won the Orange County Marathon in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 54 seconds.
However, he was disqualified shortly after he crossed the finish line for his father’s involvement, which officials deemed as “unauthorised assistance.” “During yesterday’s Hoag OC Marathon, we were forced to disqualify a participant after it was confirmed they received unauthorised assistance from an individual on a bicycle, in violation of USA Track & Field rules and our race regulations,” race director Gary Kutschar said in a statement. “We take these rules seriously to ensure fairness and the integrity of our event for all competitors.
” According to the USATF rule book, runners are allowed to receive water from the designated hydration stations along the race route. Prado seemingly had his father’s hydration help on three separate occasions, according to footage obtained by NBC Los Angeles. In one instance, Prado led the field of runners when he approached his father who sat atop a bicycle and offered water as the two travelled down the course.
However, Prado seemingly ran past at least 3 workers who extended their arms to offer water bottles before he met up with his father. “Because I was first place, a lot of the volunteers were just like scrambling,” Prado told the outlet. “By the time I got there, they.
