American Tim Hepler - runner from Mount Holly, New Jersey - dropped out before the 3km mark, but still received a medal for completing the 2023 Boston Marathon.
According to Marathon Investigation , Hepler — who was in the men’s 60-64 age group — ran the first 5 kilometers at a 5:00 pace (5 minutes per kilometer). He slowed to 5:36 at the 25-kilometer mark, and no data was recorded from the 30-kilometer mark onward.
After the race, Hepler wrote a comment that was screenshotted and shared on social media: "Quipped out at the 30km mark due to hypothermia and nausea. Sorry I wasn't prepared enough to compete in the cold and rainy weather. The medical tent was packed."
Hepler on the 2023 Boston Marathon course on April 17. Photo: Marathon Investigation
However, Hepler still seemed to make it to the finish line somehow. He even received his finisher's medal and posed for a photo. According to Canadian Running Magazine , many other runners who finished the 2023 Boston Marathon did not receive this medal, due to limited supply.
Previously, Marathon Investigation suspected Hepler of cheating and questioned his participation in the 2023 Boston Marathon. According to this source, at the Boston Bound Marathon - a 1.6 km loop course in September 2022 to select athletes for the Boston Marathon, Hepler had a questionable performance, including running a lap under six minutes.
Hepler then finished the Boston Bound Marathon in 3 hours, 23 minutes, 29 seconds, beating his previous personal best by nearly 90 minutes and sparking accusations of cheating. The result qualified Hepler for this year’s Boston Marathon, which is under 3 hours and 50 minutes for men in the 60-64 age group, and for 2024.
But Boston Marathon organizers later announced that they would not disqualify Hepler unless there was evidence or witnesses that he had cheated in qualifying. He was allowed to compete in both this year's race and next year's.
Also at the 2023 Boston Marathon, Canadian runner Kevin Curnock made headlines when he presented Tayla Savage with her finisher’s medal. This was Savage’s first marathon and she completed the 26.5 miles (42.195 km) in eight hours. Savage qualified for Boston by raising more than $10,000 for Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit charity that provides children with necessities like clothes and shoes.
Hong Duy
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