An influencer’s disqualification from the NYC Marathon for running with a filming crew stirred debate on social media.

Running influencer Matthew Choi documented his latest marathon with a video of him running through the streets of New York City, chasing a finish time of just under three hours. What the video didn’t show—two people on electronic bikes riding alongside him to gather footage—ultimately led to his disqualification from the New York City Marathon,

A social media influencer from Texas was disqualified from last weekend's New York City Marathon and banned from future competitions after running 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.

Influencer Matthew Choi has been banned from the New York City Marathon after running the 2024 race with a camera crew in tow.

The major player here is Matt Choi, a running influencer who a marathoner friend of this writer’s called “notorious for being a total asshole” when she asked him about this story. Choi ran last Sunday’s New York City Marathon in under three hours,