In response to the outcry, New York Road Runners, the organization that runs the marathon and other races in the city—not only disqualified Choi’s impressive time from the official results but also hit the influencer with a lifetime ban. One of his sponsors, a training app called Runna, cut ties as well.

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

Matthew Choi, of Austin, was disqualified from the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday and removed from the results, New York Road Runners said in a statement.

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,

Matt Choi, who ran the course in under three hours, was followed by two cameramen on electric bikes, who were said to have obstructed other runners.

The running influencer was disqualified and banned from participating in future races after he ran alongside e-bike riders who recorded him

Matt Choi, the running influencer who infuriated the running community by bringing two unauthorized e-bikes onto the NYC Marathon course, has issued an apology.

Matt Choi, who has a large following on social media, is barred from competing in future New York Road Runner events.