Running News Daily

Matt Choi Apologizes for Running with E-Bikes on New York City Marathon Course

The influencer said in a video posted to Instagram, “I have no excuses. Full stop.”Matt Choi, the running influencer who infuriated the running community by bringing two unauthorized e-bikes onto the New York City Marathon course to film him running, has issued an apology.

“I f----- up,” he said in a video posted to Instagram. “I was selfish on Sunday.”Choi made it clear in his video that he understood the consequences of his actions. “We endangered other runners. We impacted people going for PBs. We blocked people from getting water. And with the New York City Marathon being about everyone else and about the community, I made it about myself.” Choi has not responded to a request for comment from Runner’s World.

On November 3, Choi, 29, finished the marathon in 2:57, openly floating race rules with the two vehicles beside him. Runners raised an outcry, and by the evening of November 4, New York Road Runners had disqualified him from the race and banned him from future events.Choi said in his apology video that he will not appeal the organization’s ruling. 

The actions are likely to have financial implications for Choi. The COO of Runna, a training program and app that was partnering with Choi, wrote in a statement posted on LetsRun’s message boards, “We have decided to terminate our relationship with Matt effective immediately.” 

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Influencer banned from New York City Marathon for life over 'selfish' act

A running influencer has been slapped with a lifetime ban for competing in the New York City Marathon while flanked by 'two unauthorized people riding the course on electric bicycles,' according to race organizers.

Matt Choi, who posts videos of himself running and offering training tips on Instagram, was disqualified from the race and his time of 2:57:15 has been vacated after his performance across the five boroughs on Sunday.

'After a review and due to violations of World Athletics rules, and New York Road Runners' Code of Conduct and Rules of Competition, NYRR has disqualified Matt Choi from the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon and removed him from the results,' the nonprofit, which organizes New York races, said in a statement. 'He has been banned from any future NYRR races.'

'E-bikes don't belong in races,' he wrote on Instagram. 'No excuses. I was selfish & take full accountability of my actions. I apologize to all the runners impacted. I accept my DQ & lifetime ban from @nyrr. Never again.'

Choi admitted in a self-shot Instagram video that he had his brother and a videographer following him around the course on Sunday.

'I was selfish on Sunday,' he told his followers, while admitting that the bikes prevented some other runners from accessing water stations.

A native of Austin, Texas, Choi was among the 55,000 finishers at the marathon on Sunday, finishing nearly an hour after the winner, Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands.

Choi was a football player at Division I Monmouth University in New Jersey before working as a personal trainer.

He gained some notoriety on Instagram during the pandemic, which helped him attract several sponsors. However, one sponsors, a training app known as Runna, has announced that is cutting ties with Choi.

For his part, Choi has made it clear that the decision to run with videographers was his and he wasn't encouraged to do so by any sponsor.