Marathon runner Esteban Prado's victory at the Orange County Marathon was swiftly nullified when he was accused of taking unofficial aid from his father during the race. Prado originally clinched the title with a time of two hours, 24 minutes, and 54 seconds but later found himself disqualified for a rule violation after spectators and fellow runners witnessed his father providing water and nutrition from a bicycle. KTLA reported the disqualification commenced Sunday, right after Prado was declared the winner.
Caught red-handed by video and photographic evidence showing him accepting water from two individuals on bicycles, one of whom was dispensing information about his competition, Prado's first-place finish was revoked. Gary Kutscher, the marathon's race director, emphasized the gravity of adhering to the rules, stating, "We take these rules seriously to ensure fairness and the integrity of our event for all competitors," in a statement obtained by Fox News. The victory was then awarded to runner-up Jason Yang of San Pedro, who finished the race in two hours, 25 minutes, and 11 seconds.
Despite the strict enforcement of rules, Prado claimed the water stations were not adequately prepared for his pace and that he was forced to seek hydration elsewhere. Handled fluids from his father, Prado defended, "Because I was first place, a lot of the volunteers were just like scrambling," and he argued that "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," according to an NBC Los Angeles interview. Race officials, however, were not swayed, stating water stations were operational and available.
Yang, now the official winner, shared his mixed feelings about the outcome. "It’s a different feeling. It doesn’t feel as good as a normal win should feel. I think this is getting blown out of proportion," Yang told KTLA. In the wake of the controversy, Yang took to Instagram to discuss the situation, expressing disbelief that Prado was not apologetic to competitors and asserting the belief in his own fair win. Prado responded to the unfolding events not directly, opting instead to express through his mother that he had moved on from the race, which interestingly carries no cash reward or Olympic qualification KTLA noted.
