Beijing half marathon results under investigation after runners appear to hand win to Chinese star

BANGKOK (AP) — Organizers are investigating a half marathon race in Beijing after three African runners appeared to let China’s top long-distance runner move ahead of them shortly before the finish line and sprint to victory, sparking public speculation that the result was rigged.

There was a flood of public reaction online expressing suspicion about the race after video from the final moments of Sunday’s Mengniu Beijing Half Marathon circulated online. On Monday, organizers of the race issued a statement saying they would investigate the results.

“The organizing committee attaches great importance to the issue raised by netizens about the results of the (race),” organizers said. “A special investigation team has been set up to conduct an investigation, and the results of the investigation will be released to the public in a timely fashion.”