On August 27, 2023, during the 40th anniversary of the Mexico City Marathon, the event witnessed one of the biggest scandals in the world of sports. More than one-third of the participants crossed the finish line without registering times at the checkpoints, located every 5 kilometers. Despite being awarded the “Gold” label by World Athletics, this international marathon once again saw unsportsmanlike behavior from its participants.

A second edition marred by cheating

Already in 2017, the Mexican race was heavily impacted by a wave of disqualified runners. Around 5,806 participants resorted to cheating. At the time, 36% of all finishers missed at least one checkpoint, while 23% missed at least two. Six years later, history repeats itself. 

The 2023 Mexico City Marathon has set a regrettable record. This incident highlights the challenge of establishing and ensuring equal and fair racing conditions in such popular events. With over 30,000 registrants, organizers must juggle complex logistical demands and international standards, ensuring everything runs smoothly on race day. Could organizational issues also be to blame for these repeated incidents of cheating?

A failure of timing chips?

An error in the timing system might be considered, given the sheer number of runners involved. It’s hard to believe that nearly one-third of participants took a shortcut by using the metro to get closer to the National Palace, located across from Zocalo Square. 

Among the 11,000 sanctioned participants, some claimed a malfunction in the timing chip that failed to record their times every five kilometers, as the setup intended. The truth, however, seems different. On the legendary course stretching from the UNAM University Olympic Stadium to the Zocalo Square, these 11,000 participants used public transportation or other means to cut down on distance. 

An appeal was filed, stripping the concerned runners of their medals and voiding their marathon times. No measures have yet been put in place to prevent cheating in future events of this magnitude. Nevertheless, this second cheating episode is likely to tarnish the reputation of the Mexico City Marathon, which is meant to be a celebration of sport and effort. Once again, the event is overshadowed by behaviors contrary to the values of sports. 

The 2024 edition did not experience any scandals, but the Mexico City Marathon remains vulnerable to similar issues in the coming years.