A message sent to Choi via social media from Conner Mantz Top U.S. Man at the 2024 NYC Marathon on November 3 in 2:57:15, has been disqualified from the event after he ran much of the course with two people alongside him riding on electric bicycles and filming his race.
New York Road Runners, which organizes the marathon and dozens of other large races in the city, issued a statement on November 4 that read, in part, “After a review and due to violations of World Athletics rules, and New York Road Runners’ Code of Conduct and Rules of Competition, NYRR has disqualified Matt Choi from the 2024 TCS Conner Mantz Top U.S. Man at the 2024 NYC Marathon and removed him from the results. He has been banned from any future NYRR races.”
Choi, 29, “ran with the assistance of two unauthorized people riding the course on electric bicycles, obstructing runners,” the statement said.
Run Your Best Marathon Reddit and LetsRun complaining about Choi and how the e-bikes were impeding other runners on the crowded New York City course. Every year the NYC Marathon issues detailed rules to participants, explaining what is—and is not—allowed on the course.
Influencer Apologizes for E-Bikes on NYC Course Runner’s World was not immediately returned.
Choi, who has more than 465,000 followers on TikTok and 405,000 on Instagram, runs with no shirt and a backwards baseball cap. In a clip posted to the Instagram page for the Matt Choi show, he says, “I don’t even think running is my job. I am a creator first and then I run.”
This is not the first time Choi has courted controversy at a marathon. In 2023, he ran the Houston Marathon wearing someone else’s bib. (Some races allow bib transfers; the Houston Marathon does not.) Choi apologized We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.
A former football player, Choi has turned in some impressive performances. He averaged 6:46 per mile pace in New York on November 3, and in May, he ran 1:24:26 (6:27 pace) at the Brooklyn Half Marathon.
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The comments on his Instagram posts about his race were not sympathetic.
“The disrespect for other runners is disgusting,” one post read. “Get your ‘film crew’ off the course.”
Des Linden Finishes 11th at New York City Marathon is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World Des Linden Finishes 11th at New York City Marathon, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
