In one of the most bizarre race finishes in recent memory, Chinese marathoner Jie He was given the win at Sunday’s Beijing Half Marathon on a silver platter after three East African athletes slowed down for him to break the tape.
Following the race, footage of the confusing finish circulated on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, sparking scrutiny. On Tuesday, World Athletics addressed the matter, stating that they are aware of what took place and that there’s an ongoing investigation by local authorities into the incident.
The African athletes, who are all sponsored by the Chinese running shoe brand Xtep, claimed that they were to serve as pacemakers for He to break the Chinese half-marathon record of 62:33. However, the three athletes finishing the race raised suspicions, as pacers typically drop out and do not cross the finish line.
Many are now questioning the integrity of He’s victory, especially considering how much he struggled in the final metres of the race, in comparison to the three East African athletes. The incident potentially violates World Athletics Competition Rule article 4.1, which prohibits any deliberate actions aimed at altering the outcome of an event for an athlete’s personal gain.
Organisers of the Beijing half marathon are investigating claims that three African athletes allowed China’s star runner He Jie to win the race.
Footage appeared to show the athletes pointing to the line and slowing down before waving past He. @BBCAfrica pic.twitter.com/VZfKN86OCa
— Vehicle Trackers (@VehicleTrackerz) April 16, 2024
He will be a member of China’s marathon team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, holding a personal best of 2:06:58 from the Wuxi Marathon last month. Despite He’s notable achievements internationally, the situation around his victory in the Beijing Half Marathon has cast a shadow over his reputation.
While many speculate the motives behind the East African athletes’ actions, one runner, Willy Mnangat of Kenya, told BBC Africa that he was not in Beijing to compete. “It was not a competitive race for me,” he said.
This is not the first time this year that a major race in China has come under scrutiny. At the 2024 Xiamen Marathon, 15 of the 22 international elite athletes either did not start or did not finish, despite the field being dubbed “the fastest marathon pack ever assembled” by World Athletics. Chinese media later called out the elites for collecting appearance fees.
