A social media influencer from Texas has been disqualified from the recent New York City Marathon and has been banned from participating in future races after he completed the marathon with an entourage riding electric bicycles.
The New York Road Runners, the organization responsible for the marathon, released a statement highlighting that the influencer, Matthew Choi, broke the group’s conduct code and competition rules, along with those set forth by World Athletics, the international governing body for the sport.

Choi, aged 29, finished the challenging 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) race in a time of 2:57:15, placing nearly 50 minutes behind the men’s race victor, Abdi Nageeye.
Following the race, the former Monmouth University football player shared several videos of his marathon experience on social media that sparked significant backlash from viewers.
One Reddit user expressed how their race was positively influenced by seeing Choi: “As a runner, seeing him was amazing. Gave me extra motivation to pass him and make sure I never had to see him and his dumb crew for the rest of the race.”

Choi, who hails from Austin, Texas, did not reply to requests for comment but later expressed remorse on his Instagram account, which has over 400,000 followers.
He admitted that the presence of his filming crew was disruptive to other competitors, slowing down potentially faster runners, and even obstructing access to water stations during the race.
“I have no excuses, full-stop,” he stated in his Instagram post. “I was selfish on Sunday to have my brother and my videographer follow me around on e-bikes, and it had serious consequences.”

“I made it about myself, rather than focusing on the New York City Marathon as an event for everyone and the community,” he reflected. Choi extended a heartfelt apology to those affected by his actions, underscoring that he took full responsibility for the situation.
The New York Road Runners mentioned that Choi has the option to appeal the decision; however, he seems ready to accept the outcome.
“I made my bed, so I’m gonna lay in it,” Choi commented, recognizing that he has faced criticism before for his practice of using e-bike crews for content during significant races. “It won’t happen again. My word is my bond.”