Did Three African Runners Intentionally Let a Chinese Runner Win in Beijing? After an intense hour of racing, the competition among the four runners became exceptionally tight as they approached the finish line. Then, in a surprising turn of events, one of the runners extended his hand toward another, gesturing for him to move ahead. Moments later, another runner made a similar gesture.
In a recorded livestream of Sunday’s Beijing Half Marathon, China’s He Jie surged ahead of the pack, with the other three runners — Willy Mnangat and Robert Keter from Kenya and Dejene Hailu from Ethiopia — closely following behind him.
The results of the half-marathon are now under scrutiny by the race organizers after footage of the finish circulated online, prompting questions about whether the three African runners intentionally slowed down.
He claimed first place with a time of 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds. Mnangat, Keter, and Hailu finished in a tie for second place, just one second later.
Throughout much of the race, the four athletes ran together as a group, leading the pack, with the African runners occasionally taking a slight lead.
However, it was the final moments of the race, when Mnangat and Keter appeared to gesture for He to move ahead of them, that raised suspicions.
The Beijing International Running Festival, which organized the event, released a statement on Monday night announcing an investigation into the race results following concerns raised by online commentators. The statement did not mention the runners involved but stated that a special investigative team had been formed to look into the matter.
A spokesperson for the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau confirmed on Tuesday morning that they were also investigating the race.
He Jie did not immediately respond to a request for comment through Xtep, the sportswear company he represents. Keter and Hailu could not be reached for comment.
Mnangat explained to the South China Morning Post that he was acting as a pacemaker for He, assisting him in maintaining his speed. However, Mnangat did not respond to a request for comment through his agent.
He Jie, aged 25, is ranked as the 77th men’s marathoner globally by World Athletics. He won the Asian Games men’s marathon last year and set a Chinese national record by finishing the Wuxi Marathon in 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 57 seconds last month.
This incident is not the first time distance runners in China have faced accusations of cheating amidst the growing popularity of long-distance running in the country. In previous instances, participants were penalized for cheating in races, including wearing fake bib numbers, hiring imposters, and taking shortcuts.
