Andrea Sager, a 35-year-old Houston lawyer and mother of two, has lost her official result in the New York City Marathon after a video showed her taking a puff from a spectator’s joint during the race. She finished the 2026 event in nearly six hours, but New York Road Runners has removed her name from the official finishers’ board.
The New York Post reported that NYRR removed Sager’s entry on Tuesday and told her she had violated the marathon’s code of conduct. Sager said she learned of the decision during the week. She kept her finisher medal, but her official record for completing the race’s 50th running, held November 1, is gone.
Sager told the Post she took the puff because she was in significant pain. “i wasn’t planning on smoking weed on the course, but i was in so much pain and needed something to help me finish,” she said.
The Shirt That Made Her Go Viral
The Post reported that Sager’s humorous, dating-themed shirt also helped draw attention to the video.
Sager had raised thousands of dollars for charity to run the marathon. She told the Post that losing her official result was frustrating, though she also saw some upside in the attention.
What NYRR’s Rules Actually Say
New York Road Runners requires marathon participants to comply with its Rules of Competition, Code of Conduct, Run Clean Policy, and applicable city, state, and federal laws, according to nyrr.org. The organization’s Code of Conduct separately states that smoking, vaping, or using tobacco or marijuana products is prohibited in the start corrals, on the course, and in the finish area, per NYRR. The rules note that failing to follow course boundaries and directions may result in disqualification, though they don’t spell out a specific penalty tied to smoking violations.
What NYRR and city rules provide
NYRR’s Code of Conduct says penalties for violations may include disqualification from a race or suspension or a bar from future NYRR events or programs, according to New York Road Runners.
Separately, NYC Health says adults may smoke or vape cannabis where tobacco smoking is allowed under smoke-free air laws, with exceptions including parks and event spaces. That guidance alone does not establish whether Sager’s specific conduct violated city law.
Sager isn’t the only runner NYRR has sanctioned recently. The organization barred Mike Clarke from competing in its races for one year after confirming he had used a counterfeit bib, a duplicate of bib No. 4207 that had been assigned to another runner named Nicolas Bourot, to enter the marathon, according to runnersworld.com. NYRR said fraudulent entries like that one jeopardize everyone’s safety and run counter to the values of the running community.
Sager appeared to take the decision in stride, telling the Post, “it just means that we might have to just run another marathon!”
