California runner Esteban Prado finished first at Sunday’s Hoag OC Marathon in Costa Mesa, Calif. But shortly after crossing the finish line, Prado was informed by race officials that he was disqualified and his title was revoked because he had received outside assistance—a violation of USA Track and Field (USATF) rules. 

In race footage, Prado can be seen steering clear of an aid station where several volunteers stood holding refreshments, and darting over to a cyclist—later discovered to be his dad. According to the USATF rulebook, this action violated Rule 144: Assistance to Athletes (defined as conveying advice, information, or direct help to a competitor by any means). Types of assistance under this rule include pacing, receiving physical support and mechanical aid. 

This was a rule violation, for several reasons: first, he accepted help from his father, who was a spectator. Runners are prohibited from receiving any assistance from spectators (non-competitors). Second, Prado received a cup of water, which is a violation of physical support. While lesser known, marathon participants in USATF sanctioned events can only get refreshments from official aid stations.

Why did this happen?

In an interview after the race, Prado explained to reporters that he is relatively new to marathon running and wasn’t aware that taking water from family members was prohibited. But, rather than owning up to his mistake, Prado blamed race organizers. He claimed that his father’s assistance was necessary because of the race’s disorganization and lack of hydration.

“Because I was first place, a lot of the volunteers were scrambling, like, ‘Oh, there’s the first place’…a lot of the time the water stations really had nothing for me,” said Prado. Prado later took to Strava, saying, “guy in 2nd place got dropped so he had to complain I got handed a water bottle.”

Jason Yang, who finished 17 seconds behind Prado, was later awarded first place. In an interview with NBCLA following the race, Yang was seen smiling as he took in his achievement and the drama that unfolded. “Yesterday was a unique situation,” said Yang. “I think it should be an even playing field.”  

Assistance and pacing 

Receiving water from his father wasn’t Prado’s only mistake. “The father pacing him on a bike seems like a bigger deal,” one Reddit user pointed out. By cycling alongside Prado during a slight stretch of the course, Prado’s father directly violated Rule 144 (a), which prohibits runners from receiving pacing, support and advice from spectators.

People later flocked to Reddit to comment on the situation. One user came to Prado’s defense, stating, “People think this is some obvious rule, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a road marathon where runners were banned from receiving water or fuel from non-official sources.” Other users stressed the importance of abiding by USATF’s rules. “Outside assistance includes not having a dude who can give you coaching on your pacing and form [and] tell you how the field behind you is doing,” said one Reddit user. “These are the types of reasons it’s just not allowed.” 

Though Prado’s case was a hard lesson, it serves as a reminder for runners to always read an event’s rules and regulations when entering a race.