The organisers of the Beijing half marathon are investigating allegations that three runners deliberately allowed China's He Jie to win the race.
In footage from the event, He could be seen approaching the finish line alongside Kenya's Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat and Ethiopia's Dejen Hailu. The trio then appear to slow down, allowing He to overtake them and win the race with a time of 1:03:44.
Keter, Mnanga and Hailu all tied for second place, just one second behind He, and a broadcaster commentating on the race noted that the four runners had stuck together for the entire course.
The Beijing Sports Bureau are now investigating the incident, with an anonymous source telling the AFP: "We are investigating and will announce the results to the public once they are available."
World Athletics have also released a statement, which reads: "We are aware of the footage circulating online from the Beijing half marathon this weekend and understand an investigation is currently being conducted by the relevant local authorities.
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"The integrity of our sport is the highest priority at World Athletics, while this investigation is ongoing we are unable to provide further comment."
Chinese sports brand Xtep, which was an event partner for the half marathon and also sponsor He, are conducting their own investigation.
"The situation is still being confirmed and verified by multiple parties. Further information will be communicated as soon as possible," a spokesperson told Chinese outlet The Paper.
Mnangat has since broken his silence on the incident, telling the South China Morning Post : "He comes to Kenya and I was [pacing for him] in [the] Wuxi Marathon, so [he] is my friend, OK."
He Jie won gold in the marathon at the 2023 Asian Games and is China's record holder in the event. "I have never participated in a half marathon before, so this time I wanted to set a personal best [performance]," the Chinese athlete said after the race.
"I just finished the Wuxi Marathon not long ago, so I was not in my best competitive state. If I had been in the same condition as during the Wuxi race, I believe my performance would have been better."
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