In a surprising turn of events, the Orange County Marathon's men's champion was disqualified for accepting water from a family member during the race, a violation of the event's rules and regulations. Esteban Prado, a 24-year-old from Fountain Valley, was leading the race and finished in a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 54 seconds, only to be stripped of his title due to this infraction.
The rules of the marathon, in accordance with USA Track & Field regulations, stipulate that runners can only receive hydration from official aid stations. Prado's father, who was riding a bicycle alongside him, handed him a water bottle, an act that was deemed as "unauthorized assistance."
"We were forced to disqualify a participant after it was confirmed they received unauthorized assistance from an individual on a bicycle, in violation of USA Track & Field rules and our race regulations," said OC Marathon Race Director Gary Kutschar. He emphasized the importance of these rules in maintaining the "fairness and the integrity of our event for all competitors."
Prado, who had spent four months training for the marathon, was unaware of the rule against accepting water from spectators. He expressed his disappointment, saying, "The only person that could see me within range was second place." He added, "I really got nothing out of it. I know I won."
The disqualification means that Prado's final race time cannot be used to qualify for future races. However, he remains undeterred and plans to participate in his third marathon in the fall, vowing to adhere to all the rules.
The incident echoes a similar disqualification ten years ago in the same marathon, where a competitor was disqualified for receiving water and illegal pacing from a friend on a bicycle.
Following Prado's disqualification, Jason Yang of San Pedro was declared the winner with a time of 2 hours, 25 minutes, and 11 seconds. Meanwhile, the women's race saw Gabriella Smith of Lynchburg, Virginia, clinch the title in her first marathon, finishing 12 seconds ahead of Annika Mellquist of Gardena.
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