Esteban Prado finished California's Hoag OC Marathon first with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 54 seconds — but he didn't win. And it's because he reportedly got water from his dad during the marathon, which is in violation of the rules. Jason Yang, who finished after Esteban with a time of 2 hours, 25 minutes, 11 seconds, was declared the winner, and he took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the matter.
"So much drama because of the guy [Esteban Prado] that finished 1st with personal bike support," he wrote on Instagram.
The OC Marathon was held in Orange County, California, on Sunday, May 5, 2024. Race director Gary Kutschar explained why Esteban was disqualified.
"During yesterday’s Hoag OC Marathon, we were forced to disqualify a participant after it was confirmed they received unauthorized assistance from an individual on a bicycle, in violation of USA Track & Field rules and our race regulations," he shared in a statement, as per NBC Los Angeles.
"We take these rules seriously to ensure fairness and the integrity of our event for all competitors," the statement continued.
In his Instagram post, Jason, the man who was later declared the winner of the marathon wrote that "there’s a reason personal bike support is not allowed in ANY marathon race if you’re competing for a medal and/or prize money."
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He said it's an "unfair advantage."
Gary, the race director, told McClatchy News that receiving water from someone is considered "assistance," The Sacramento Bee reported.
According to the rules, people competing in the marathon can only get water from official hydration stations. Videos appear to show Esteban taking water from his dad, who was on a bike.
Esteban told NBC Los Angeles that he didn't know he was breaking the rules when he took water from his dad. He also told the outlet that there was no water at some of the water stations when he got there.
“Because I was first place, a lot of the volunteers were just like scrambling," he explained to the outlet. "By the time I got there, they were… grabbing the water. So a lot of the time the water stations, they really had nothing for me.”
In addition to water, some water stations were stocked with electrolyte drinks, NBC Los Angeles reported. There were multiple hydration stations available to runners during the marathon: seven on the front half and eight on the second half, as per the marathon website.
The race's director said it's the runners' responsibility to know the rules, The Sacramento Bee reported.
Although Esteban has said that there was no water for him at the hydration stations, Gary denied this claim, saying, "We have videos showing him passing water stations and not taking the Gatorade or water but receiving it in a bottle from a guy on a bicycle," according to the outlet.
Jason said that "real marathoners know how bike support allows you to keep your stride and gives you a peace of mind that you have your own fuel the entire race," in his Instagram post.
Meanwhile, Esteban told ABC7 that "if [Jason] wanted that congratulations for that first place, if he really felt like he needed it, it's just for him at the end of the day."
"I really got nothing out of it. I know I won," Esteban told the outlet.
