Almost 200 competitors are facing disqualification from the 2016 Dubai Marathon following accusations of cheating.
More than 30,000 runners took part in last Friday’s event but it has since emerged that a significant group failed to follow the rules in the main race.
Athletes are required to cross timing mats – which stretch from one side of the designated course to the other – every 5km to ensure they are completing the full distance.
From the awards ceremony of Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2016 with HE Mater Al-Tayer, Deputy Chairman of #DSC pic.twitter.com/XMpgtsecN8
— مجلس دبي الرياضي (@DubaiSC) January 22, 2016But in an email sent to one complainant, obtained by Sport360°, organisers admitted they had been on the lookout for a group that “regularly cheat” and that there were 199 athletes under investigation for not having passed all of the checkpoints.
Among those to have missed a checkpoint was French runner Latifa Essarokh, the winner of the women’s 40-plus category, and her name and winning time of 02:52:51 had been removed from Dubai Marathon’s official website.
Essarokh crossed the 20km and 30km markers but wasn’t recorded crossing the 25km checkpoint.
When she subsequently passed the 30km mat her pace for the previous 10km was comparable – and at times significantly faster – than overall race winner Tirfi Tsegaye of Ethiopia, according to official data.
A marathon spokesman on Monday confirmed the matter was being dealt with.
“As an international marathon, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon engages a strict timing policy with active timing mats and recorders at regular intervals along the courses,” he said.
“By employing such a system, we are well aware of any runner who does not post a time in accordance with the race rules and regulations.
“Such discrepancies are duly investigated and, should there be a clear instance of timing splits having been missed, race results are amended accordingly.”
One runner directly affected by Essarokh’s performance was German participant Anja Schwerin, a UAE resident competing in her sixth Dubai Marathon.
Schwerin, 40, finished third in the 40-plus category in a time of 03:15:56 but has since been elevated to second place.
Despite this, she is far from happy at having her participation on the day tarnished.
“It’s totally unacceptable, this is not in the spirit of sport,” said Schwerin.
“It’s absolutely not on to do this. If you can’t run the race, there are other options, like dropping out or just stay at home, but some people don’t have a conscience. It’s just not fair.
“I’ve run eight marathons but no matter if it’s your first or 10th, you work so hard for something like this. It’s sad. I would like to understand why she did it, what drives someone to do it.”
