Most investigations featured on Marathon Investigation begin with a suspicious race result. A runner appears to have cut a course. A bib is used by someone other than the registered participant. A set of splits doesn t make sense. This story began with an Instagram post. I was recently contacted regarding Instagram user @jacksthursby24_, who portrays [ ] The post The Ironman 70.3 Finish That Never…
Prelude There’s no way to make this short. Maybe this would be better suited for a small book than a race report. But after putting off my 2023 report until the memories faded, I wanted to get this one written while the emotions were still fresh. This year brought a twist: runners would choose either [ ] The post Last Annual Heart of The South (2025) Race Report first appeared on…
A bizarre sequence of claims following the Las Vegas Purple Run half marathon has drawn scrutiny after a runner was credited with a time that would have shattered the women’s world record—while both the runner and a family member reportedly insisted the performance was legitimate. According to the race director, a family member quickly took [ ] The post Half Marathon “World Record” Claim in Las…
Timing data from the Philadelphia Marathon has identified a performance displaying a pacing pattern commonly associated with a shortened course on out-and-back marathon routes. A broader review of prior race results shows similar irregularities occurring across multiple events — including races before and after the runner was selected as a Philadelphia Marathon ambassador. Philadelphia Marathons […
Support Marathon Investigation You can contribute at the bottom of this page — or directly via: PayPal: paypal.me/marathonsleuth Venmo: @MarathonInvestigation The New York City Marathon is one of the few races on earth where simply finishing is an achievement that many spend years chasing. …but apparently — you can also just sneak on the [ ] The post NYC Marathon: TikToker Hops On Course, Creates…
I pulled the results a few days after the race. Most looked consistent. Some did not. The pacing data below reflects the initially published result for Sonukumar. Recorded Splits (Marine Corps Marathon 2025) Marker Cumulative Time Segment Pace Overall Pace 3.1 0:26:41 8:36/mi 8:36/mi 6.2 0:51:52 8:08/mi 8:21/mi 9.3 1:16:58 8:05/mi 8:17/mi 13.11 1:47:21 7:59/mi [ ] The post Marine Corps Marathon:…
The woman who used a bib from the 2016 Brooks Memphis Twilight race to claim victory at a Chicagoland 5K has been identified. The unidentified runner from a recent Chicagoland 5K has now been confirmed as Rebecca, a former collegiate runner from Arkansas State University. Thanks to those that helped identify the bandit. Rebecca used [ ] The post Former Collegiate Runner Identified After Banditing…
A race director says a woman used a bib from a Memphis Twilight event to win a local race, take home the first-place prize, and leave before anyone realized she wasn’t registered. A race director in the Chicagoland area says an unknown woman showed up to their event, ran under someone else’s bib, and was [ ] The post Bandit Runner Steals Win and Prize at Chicagoland Race first appeared on…
Three suspicious patterns reveal course cutting and impossible segment paces among 2025 Chicago Marathon finishers. The 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon celebrated thousands of legitimate finishers — but also featured performances that defy explanation. Building on earlier investigations (see Course Cuts Missing Splits at the 2025 Chicago Marathon and How a Boston Marathon [ ] The post More…
A runner says she ran “sub-4” at the 2025 Berlin Marathon. Her own 5K split says otherwise. One runner took to Instagram to celebrate what she described as a “sub-4 hour” finish at the 2025 Berlin Marathon — calling it the culmination of a year of training. Her post opened: “Yes, Earth, Wind Fire [ ] The post The Math Doesn’t Lie: Why This 2025 Berlin Marathon Result Doesn’t Add Up first appeared…