Sudden Yield Before the Finish Line... Chinese Marathon Confirmed as Match-Fixing

Kenyan Athlete Admits "Hired"... Served as Pacemaker
Heo Je Aimed to Break National Record but Fell Short

At a half marathon held last weekend in Beijing, China, footage surfaced showing other runners seemingly yielding to Chinese athlete He Jie’s victory, while a Kenyan runner confessed, "We are hired people."

At the half marathon held in Beijing, China on the 14th, an Ethiopian athlete is seen making a gesture as if to hold back other runners while looking at Chinese runner Heo Je (left) about one minute before the finish line. [Image source=Weibo capture]

On the 16th (local time), Kenyan runner Willy Nganga told BBC Sport Africa, "Four runners were contracted to help He Jie break the Chinese half marathon record of 1 hour 2 minutes and 33 seconds," adding, "One of them did not finish." Essentially, the African runners were all hired as pacemakers for He Jie. Nganga admitted, "It was not a race for competition for me."

Nganga said, "I don’t know why my bib number said 'pacemaker' instead of my name," adding, "My job was to control the pace and help him (He Jie) win, but unfortunately, the goal of breaking the national record was not achieved." He Jie won the race with a time of 1 hour 3 minutes and 44 seconds, failing to break the Chinese half marathon record.

Videos of the race shared on Chinese social media show Kenyan runners Robert Keter and Nganga, along with Ethiopian Dejene Bikila, who were running ahead, looking back at He Jie dressed in red just before the finish line and slowing down. When He Jie caught up to them, one runner gestured as if to let him go first. Then, while running alongside He Jie, other African runners appeared to be moving ahead, but one extended an arm as if to restrain them.

On the 14th, at the half marathon held in Beijing, China, an Ethiopian athlete appeared to gesture to other runners to slow down and to Heo Je, a Chinese athlete, to go ahead first. [Image source: X (formerly Twitter) capture]

When controversy over match-fixing arose from this footage, Nganga denied the allegations, saying, "He Jie won because we are friends," and "I was not instructed to do so, nor was there any financial compensation." The other two runners have not made any comments. Chinese netizens criticized the video, calling it "the most shameful title" and "a disgraceful act."

The Beijing Sports Bureau, which hosted the event, said, "We are investigating the incident," and "We will announce the results to the public once available." The World Athletics Federation stated in a release, "We are aware of the Beijing Half Marathon video circulating online and understand that local authorities are currently investigating," emphasizing, "The federation prioritizes fairness in sports above all." However, they added, "We cannot comment further as the investigation is ongoing."

Meanwhile, He Jie is the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games gold medalist and set a new Chinese record by finishing a full marathon in 2 hours 6 minutes and 57 seconds at a race held last month in Wuxi. He is aiming to compete in the Paris Olympics this summer.