Politics
Influencer Flanked by E-Bike Riders at N.Y.C. Marathon Is Banned, Organizers Say
Matt Choi, who ran the course in under three hours, was followed by two cameramen on electric bikes, who were said to have obstructed other runners.
A running influencer with nearly half a million followers who ran the New York City Marathon on Sunday while flanked by two electric bikes has been banned for life from the marathon and other events held by the organizers.
The e-bike riders were there to film Matt Choi, a former football player who ran the course in just under three hours.
On the crowded course, where some stretches can be tightly packed with runners, his entourage prompted immediate outcry from other runners. Videos on social media showed how the two riders, in high-visibility vests, slalomed between runners on rented Citi Bikes for stretches of the course. On Reddit and other social media sites, Mr. Choi was criticized, with one user calling him “bad for the sport.”
New York Road Runners, which organizes the marathon and other large races in the city, said that it had decided to ban Mr. Choi after determining that he had run with the assistance of two unauthorized people on electric bicycles, who had obstructed runners.
The organization said in a statement issued on Monday it had banned Mr. Choi from any of its future races after a review found that he had violated World Athletics rules and code of conduct and rules of competition of the New York Road Runners. Mr. Choi was also disqualified from the race, and his results were removed.
Mr. Choi did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but on his Instagram page on Tuesday, he posted an apology for having had the two men — whom he identified as his brother and a videographer — follow him. “I have no excuses, full stop,” he said. “I was selfish on Sunday.” He said his choice had consequences, including endangering runners and blocking people from getting water.
