Bib swapping scandal rocks Two Oceans Marathon as top runners disqualified

Two top 10 runners in this year’s Two Oceans Marathon women’s race have been disqualified after it was revealed they were, in fact, male.

Two male runners were found to have competed under female entrants’ race numbers, leading to a reshuffle in the final standings.

The issue was first flagged by The Running Mann blog, raising questions about bibb swapping at major races.

The Running Mann blogger and Two Oceans Marathon board member, Stuart Mann, explained that bibb swapping is a serious issue.

It undermines the integrity of the competition and can have significant consequences, including medical and insurance issues.

He said that while Two Oceans has a strict substitution process in place for runners who can no longer participate, bib swapping is not allowed.

"It's very clear that it's wrong, it's against the rules, and it's been well publicised."

In his blog post, Mann said the two men will face a disciplinary process that may likely result in a two-year ban from the event.

He noted that the implications of this scandal go beyond the two disqualified runners.

"Races are used as qualifiers for other races, so the times of races are used as well. So, that is why if you're a bit more of a serious runner, these things matter."

To listen to Mann in conversation with CapeTalk’s Lester Kiewit, use the audio player below: