A runner within the males’s 60-64 division allegedly picked up a finisher’s medal at this yr’s Boston Marathon regardless of not ending the race, in response to a brand new report by marathoninvestigation.com.
In line with the report, Tim Hepler of Mount Holly, N.C., who opened the primary 5 km of the race in a 5:00-km tempo, slowed to a 5:36-km tempo at across the 25 km mark and seems to have dropped out of the race sooner or later earlier than the 30 km mark.
An archived social media put up apparently written by Hepler after the marathon states: “Dropped out at Mile 18.5 with hypothermia and nausea. Sorry I didn’t put together for the pouring wind rain and chilly. Medical tents have been full that day.”
Nevertheless, Hepler seems to have acquired transportation to the end line by unknown means after dropping out. He will be seen in photographs close to the end line carrying a finisher’s medal, which some reputable finishers of this yr’s marathon didn’t obtain on race day on account of provides being restricted.
Hepler has been the topic of a earlier marathoninvestigation.com report that casts doubt on whether or not he ought to even have been allowed to race at this yr’s Boston Marathon. That report reveals that on the Boston Sure Marathon, a 1.6-km looped course Hepler ran final September to qualify for the Boston Marathon, he recorded a number of suspicious splits, together with one sub-six-minute loop. Hepler completed the qualifier with a time of three:23:29, breaking his earlier marathon PB by almost 90 minutes, and giving rise to allegations in fact chopping.
That race end result certified Hepler for each this yr’s Boston Marathon and the 2024 occasion. In its new report on the alleged medal theft, marathoninvestigation.com notes that organizers of the Boston Sure Marathon have mentioned that they might not disqualify Hepler’s Boston Marathon qualifying time except a witness stepped ahead to corroborate the accusations in fact chopping. As such, Hepler stays eligible to run subsequent yr’s Boston Marathon.
The latest accusations that Hepler claimed a medal he didn’t earn are in stark distinction to Canadian Operating’s latest story on Kevin Curnock, a Toronto runner who gifted the finisher’s medal he earned on this yr’s race to first-time marathoner Tayla Savage, who accomplished the Boston Marathon course following an epic eight-hour effort.
