A California runner was stripped of his marathon title Sunday for accepting a cup of water from his father who patrolled the 26.2-mile route on his bicycle.
Esteban Prado, 24, won the Orange County Marathon in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 54 seconds. However, he was disqualified shortly after he crossed the finish line for his father’s involvement, which officials deemed as “unauthorized assistance.”
“During yesterday’s Hoag OC Marathon , we were forced to disqualify a participant after it was confirmed they received unauthorized assistance from an individual on a bicycle, in violation of USA Track & Field rules and our race regulations,” race director Gary Kutschar said in a statement. “We take these rules seriously to ensure fairness and the integrity of our event for all competitors.”
