( KTLA ) – Esteban Prado of Fountain Valley, California, was the first to cross the finish line during Sunday’s Orange County Marathon , with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 54 seconds.
His first-place finish, however, didn’t end up counting.
Prado, 24, had his title stripped for violating race rules when it was revealed that his father rode along the 26.2-mile course on a bicycle and gave him water.
Prado was disqualified Sunday, shortly after being named the winner, race officials announced the following day.
“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.”
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