China bans official for showing Qingdao Marathon winner the wrong route before finish line
- Kenya’s Biegon Andrew Kiplangat still won the race but Huang Jianyi is banned for one year for ‘dereliction of duty’
China has banned an official for one year after the leading runner at a marathon was directed the wrong way near the finish, in the latest incident to taint the sport in the country.
Long-distance and marathon running is booming in China, bringing with it a growing number of instances of brazen cheating or poor organisation.
The latest came at the Qingdao Marathon in Eastern China when Kenya’s Biegon Andrew Kiplangat followed a guiding car down the wrong route with just 300 metres left in the race, according to Tencent Sports.
It published brief footage showing a perplexed Kiplangat pausing, before a man who appears to be a security guard shows him where to go.
Despite the mishap Kiplangat won the marathon on May 4 in two hours, 22 minutes and 17 seconds, according to the official record.
That did not stop the Chinese Athletic Association (CAA) handing out a one-year ban to a marathon official for “dereliction of duty”.