Qualifying for international marathons, pushing for a promotion at the workplace and social media validation — these are seen as some of the key reasons for wannabe athletes to gain unfair advantage at marathons.
As the number of marathons continues to rise in the country, organisers say there has also been a rise in the number of cheating cases. A recent case that came to light was during the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon, where an impersonation incident was reported.
According to race organisers, this case of cheating in the capital, though startling, is one of the many involving semi-professional and hobby marathon runners across the country.
“We have found about four to five cases at the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon (this year) but I am sure many more people are cheating which we are not aware of. It is difficult for organisers to catch them as there are thousands of runners. When somebody complains we check if there is cheating,” Reeth Abraham, the director of NEB Sports, which organises the Apollo marathon, told The Indian Express.
Earlier this week, The Indian Express reported that two runners, a lady and a man, asked a Railways athlete to run wearing their bibs at the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon in February. All three were suspended.
Qualifying for iconic marathons
The flat course in New Delhi is an added attraction for runners aiming to qualify for famous marathons around the world. Timings are recognised at major events because the marathon is sanctioned by the World Athletics and the Athletics Federation of India.
“For example the Boston Marathon. In the age group category, there is a certain time you have to run to qualify. Maybe the woman who got a man to run for her in the marathon wanted better timing to qualify. This is a sanctioned event, so the timing is accepted,” Reeth said, adding “The timing certificate can help in getting a promotion or even a job. And there is the prize money factor too.”
The large number of participants works to the advantage of potential cheaters, Reeth, a former Asian Championships long jump medallist, added.
Keeping track of each and every participant is virtually impossible even for observant race officials. With timing chips embedded in the bibs and timing mats at the start, along the course and at the finish, thousands of runners who finish outside the top three can simply go home after completing the race.
Timing certificate key
The timing certificate, a treasured piece of paper, is obtained by a participant by entering the bib number and name online.
To get to the bottom of the cheating case in February this year, Reeth also spoke to the woman, the wife of a Railway doctor, whose bib was worn by the sports quota Railway runner. She felt dismayed listening to her side of the story. “Her excuse was that she went to the toilet, removed the bib and left it out. Who does that? It was cheating,” Reeth said. The veteran athlete also had a word with the Railway runner. “He was very apologetic.”
Despite deterrents in place, like different colour bibs for men and women, unscrupulous runners slip through. If they finish in medal positions, the higher the chances of them getting caught.
In another case at this year’s Apollo Marathon, the bib switch went wrong because the male athlete running instead of the woman finished second in the 10K. “Maybe he never imagined he would finish second,” Reeth said.
The colour of the bib went unnoticed but they ran out of luck because when it was time for the winners’ photograph, the woman who ‘finished second’ was not to be seen.
“We tried to locate her for a picture, and that is when we realized that she did not even turn up. Even in the race pictures, he is wearing the woman’s bib. I called her to check what happened. She said, ‘I picked up my bib but I misplaced it’. I said it is your responsibility to tell us if you have lost the bib. I told her that you are lying.”
Cases of cheating have cropped up in other races NEB Sports organises, like the Bangalore 10K, the Mumbai half marathon and the Pune Marathon.
“In Pune, it happens because they come from the outskirts and want to win prize money. But we have also caught quite a few runners who have come from outstation,” Reeth said.
Organisers of the popular Tata Mumbai Marathon, which has been held since 2004, have over the years weeded out cheats too. Procam International vice president Aarti Kakatkar said they keep a close eye on the timed events: marathon, half marathon and 10K.
“There have been incidents of a runner participating in place of another one. We have disqualified individuals and not allowed them to participate the next year. Cheating is a disservice to the running community. Incentives for cheating can be prize money. Or, for example, an excuse we have heard is, ‘It is my son’s 18th birthday so I have given him the bib to run’. But the timings are affected. Also, there are many ramifications if a person is running for someone else… In case of an emergency, whom do we contact,” Aarti said.
However, keeping out cheaters is easier said than done, Reeth explained. NEB Sports will submit an internal report to the Athletics Federation of India next week. “We call athletes to warn them but it is difficult to block them. We block their number and email ID so they cannot register. But they can always register through some other email ID.”
Joggers running during a marathon in New Delhi. (FILE photo) 
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