Organizers of the Beijing half marathon have launched an investigation following the circulation of widely-shared online footage, which seems to suggest that three African runners intentionally allowed China’s He Jie to secure victory.

Video footage from Sunday's race, available for viewing below, captures Kenyan runners Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat, Ethiopian athlete Dejene Hailu, and local contender He nearing the finish line.

The footage shows the three African runners gesturing towards the finish line, seemingly encouraging He to take the lead while simultaneously slowing their own pace.

He, who secured the gold medal in the 2023 Asian Games marathon, emerged victorious with only a one-second lead. According to a broadcaster's observation, all four runners remained closely grouped together throughout the entirety of the race, covering a distance of just over 13 miles (21 kilometers).

“We are investigating and will announce the results to the public once they are available,” An anonymous source from the Beijing Sports Bureau informed AFP.

The Beijing Sports Competition Management and International Exchange Center, the event's organizer, also confirmed that an investigation has been initiated.

The incident became a focal point of discussion on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, where numerous users shared their perspectives on the matter. Some individuals criticized the outcome, deeming it embarrassing, while others likely expressed varying opinions and reactions to the event. Overall, the incident generated significant engagement and discourse within the online community.

“This will certainly be the most embarrassing championship in He Jie’s career,” “With such a major organiser and such a well-known event, this really pushes sportsmanship to the ground in shame.”

In a widely circulated post on X, China Sports Insider Mark Dreyer remarked that the incident was "highly unusual."

“Three Kenyans in today’s Beijing Half Marathon clearly let China’s He Jie - current Asian Games marathon champion - win the race, all the while coasting themselves, waving him through and congratulating him after the race. Appears to be a tacit agreement?” 

Despite assertions that the African runners were acting as pacemakers, Dreyer remained skeptical.

Jamie Fox, the Director of Communications, informed AFP. “The integrity of our sport is the highest priority at World Athletics, while this investigation is ongoing we are unable to provide further comment.” 

After the race, he informed reporters that he is now completely ready for the Paris Olympics. 

“I have never participated in a half marathon before, so this time I wanted to set a personal best,” He said. 

He explained that he saw the recent event as valuable practice leading up to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, which are set to occur from July 26 to August 11. This suggests that he used the competition as an opportunity to refine his skills and readiness for the prestigious international event.

“Now I am fully preparing for the Paris Olympics; please believe in Chinese athletes. I hope to showcase Chinese speed in Paris and let the world see the Chinese speed,” He said.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the participation of China's middle class in long-distance running. However, despite this growing interest, there have been several instances where cheating has occurred, as well as cases of poorly organized events. These challenges highlight the need for greater oversight and regulation within the sport to ensure fair competition and a positive experience for participants.

In 2018, during a half-marathon event held in the southern city of Shenzhen, a total of 258 runners were caught cheating. Many of these individuals were found to have taken shortcuts during the race. The cheating was detected when traffic cameras recorded them deviating from the designated route, darting through trees in an attempt to rejoin a different part of the race course. This incident highlighted the prevalence of cheating in endurance events and raised concerns about the integrity of such competitions.

During the 2019 Xuzhou International Marathon in eastern China, race officials recorded footage of a woman riding a green rental bike. Despite being instructed by officials to dismount, she defied the orders and resumed riding the bike later on in the race.

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