NYC Marathon bans running influencer over camera crew [Video]

NEW YORK –

A social media influencer from Texas was disqualified from last weekend’s New York City Marathon and banned from future competitions after he ran the race with a camera crew on e-bikes in tow.

New York Road Runners, which organizes the venerable race, said in a statement Tuesday that Matthew Choi violated the group’s code of conduct and competition rules, not to mention those of World Athletics, running’s international governing body.

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“One of the incidents brought to NYRR’s attention was that Choi ran with the assistance of two unauthorized people riding the course on electric bicycles, obstructing runners,” the group said.

Choi, 29, finished the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometre) course with a time of 2:57:15, or about 50 minutes behind Abdi Nageeye, the winner of the men’s race.

The former football player for Monmouth University in New Jersey posted several videosof him running the marathon on his social …