3 Chinese Runners Banned Over Boston Marathon Cheating Allegations

Three Chinese runners received lifetime bans from competing in official races in their home country over allegations that they cheated in the recent Boston Marathon.

According to Xinhua news, two of the runners applied to race Boston, which occurred on April 15, with falsified qualification documents. The other runner is accused of giving his Boston bib to someone else.

Moving forward, neither of the three runners will be allowed to race in a Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) event.

The Boston Globe reported that 620 Chinese citizens entered Boston. Five hundred thirty-seven competed on race day, with all but three of them finishing.

“Although the recent cheating allegations are a disappointment, we are highly confident that the vast majority of the field works hard, trains through all conditions, and brings integrity and good sportsmanship to our course,” the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the marathon, told the Globe.

The Globe listed the three aforementioned runners’ names as Wu Zhaofeng, Zhao Baoying, and Zhang Jianhua.