Running: Top runners disqualified for accidental shortcut

Monday, May 29, 2006 - 02:08 PM

Moroccan runners elevated to first and second in official results....

For the first time in the 32-year history of the Ottawa marathon, the man who broke the tape in front of thousands of wildly cheering spectators wasn't honoured as the champion.

Amos Tirop Matui of Kenya sprinted hard to the finish line and thought he had won in two hours, 10 minutes and 32 seconds, which would have been a race record worthy of a $17,000 performance cheque.

But as he caught his breath, a surprised Mr. Tirop Matui learned his result was in jeopardy because he was one of a group of 14 elite runners who accidentally cut the course by 400 metres between the eight-kilometre and nine-kilometre mark in the New Edinburgh area.

Following the race, Mr. Tirop Matui said he would be very upset if he wasn't recognized as the winner -- which turned out to be his fate after race organizers disqualified the runners who went off course.

Defending champion David Cheruiyot of Kenya, who was among those disqualified, was disheartened by the decision. "They could have measured the distance, calculated how much time it would have taken us and added it to our time," he said, adding the pack was misdirected by a motorcyclist.

"It's very, very disappointing. We can't use our times now to get into other races.

Mr. Tirop Matui was unaware why they went the wrong way, adding he just followed the group.

Ottawa Race Weekend organizers couldn't pinpoint a specific reason for the mistake, but suggested a variety of scenarios -- volunteer error by high school students at the intersection where the runners went off course; a neighbourhood car went on the course and the runners followed it, thinking it was an official pace vehicle; the runners weren't responsible enough for knowing the course; and the runners didn't follow the spotted blue line, which was intended to lead them from start to finish.

In a post-race investigation, race director John Halvorsen and Manny Rodrigues, the elite athletes co-ordinator, took away Mr. Tirop Matui's title and disqualified all 14 runners by giving them "non-ratified results." While their fast times won't be recognized, Mr. Halvorsen said the top eight runners in that group, who originally were eligible for prize money, will be given varying, but unspecified, amounts of performance money for their efforts.

"I reviewed it and I felt it was the best decision," Mr. Halvorsen said at a media conference. "I wanted to try to award a reasonable amount of prize money.

"It will cost us extra money. Our prize money budget is not always fixed."

As a result, Moroccan runners Abderrahime Bouramdane and Zaid Laaroussi were elevated to first and second, respectively.

Mr. Bouramdane was declared the winner with a time of 2:12:18, while Mr. Laaroussi finished next in 2:12:59. California-based Brad Poore of Croyden, England, who originally finished 15th, was promoted to third overall in 2:24:28.

"I'm very happy," Mr. Bouramdane said, after accepting his winner's trophy.