A California runner was stripped of his marathon title Sunday for accepting a glass of water from his father as he patrolled the 46.2-mile route on his bicycle.
Esteban Prado, 24, won the Orange County Marathon in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 54 seconds. However, shortly after the goal, he was disqualified due to his father’s involvement, which the authorities considered “unauthorized assistance.”
“In yesterday, Hogue OC Marathona participant had to be disqualified after it was confirmed that he received unauthorized assistance from a cyclist. United States Track and Field Rules and our race regulations,” race director Gary Kutscher said in a statement. “We take these rules seriously to ensure the fairness and integrity of the event for all competitors.”
According to the USATF rulebook, runners can receive water from designated hydration stations along the race route.
Prado apparently asked his father to help him stay hydrated on three separate occasions. According to footage obtained by NBC Los Angeles..
In one instance, Prado led the runners and approached his father, who sat on his bicycle and offered him water.
But before he met his father, Prado appeared to walk past at least three workers who held out their arms to offer him bottles of water.
“A lot of the volunteers were just sort of scrambling because I was in first place,” Prado told the magazine. “By the time I got there, they were…grabbing water. So there was almost nothing at the water station.”
Prado, competing in his second full marathon, claimed he was unaware he could face disqualification and that race officials were not prepared to provide assistance.
“We have video of him passing a water station and not drinking Gatorade or water, but accepting a bottle from a guy on a bike,” Kutcher said. . sacramento bee.
Prado has spent the past four months preparing for the OC Marathon and most recently placed first at the Surf City USA Half Marathon in February.
Kutcher overturned his disqualification to Prado in a phone call saying a competitor had witnessed him taking a water bottle from his father during the race. According to ABC7.
Prado claimed that only the second-place runner was within range.
Jason Yang, a 33-year-old from California, finished 17 seconds behind Prado’s mark and took first place. It was his third marathon victory.
Yang criticized Prado’s lack of contrition and praised race officials for taking swift action to “support bicycles” for runners.
“The Marathon Bike employees had seen him receiving support on the bike and had taken a video of him, so I was asked about it and I told them exactly what I saw,” Yang said. says. said on Instagram.
“My thoughts on that matter? There’s a reason why personal bike support is not allowed in marathon races where you compete for medals and prize money. Esteban Prado has not apologized to all the contestants and is still It’s completely unreasonable for him to think he won the race fair and square. I think the race director made the right decision.”
Yang also claimed that the bike helps runners “keep their stride” and “protects them from the wind on days when the wind is 13 miles per hour.”
At the OC Marathon, which also served as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon, temperatures reached 67 degrees.
“(Other) athletes competing with him aren’t getting the same fluids and nutrition,” Kutscher told the Sacramento Bee. “It is not an obligation for a race to have a certain number of water stations or other facilities. It is an obligation to make it a fair and impartial event. Therefore, to ensure fairness and the integrity of all athletes, They have to play by the same rules.”
Prado, on the other hand, is adamant that he is still the true winner despite his disqualification.
“I don’t get any money or anything. If he wanted congratulations for being number one, and he really felt like he needed it, it’s just for him at the end of the day,” Prado told ABC7. told. “I really didn’t get anything. I know I won.”
