Community Corner
South Bay Man Declared Marathon Winner Amid Cheating Controversy
The original winner of the marathon apparently received unauthorized assistance from someone on a bike, race officials said.
ORANGE COUNTY, CA — An Orange County man was disqualified Sunday as winner of the OC marathon, event officials said in a statement Monday.
The Fountain Valley runner was disqualified for receiving unauthorized assistance from someone on a bike. According to City News Service, the runner received fluids from a spectator in violation of a rule that participants can only get water at official hydration stations.
"During yesterday’s Hoag OC Marathon, we were forced to disqualify a participant after it was confirmed they received unauthorized assistance from an individual on a bicycle, in violation of USA Track & Field rules and our race regulations," race director Gary Kutschar said in the statement. "We take these rules seriously to ensure fairness and the integrity of our event for all competitors.”
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Jason Yang of San Pedro was announced the men's marathon winner in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 11 seconds.
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