Xueji Sheng, the leading male marathon runner at the Chongqing Wanzhou Marathon in Chongqing, China, was stopped by a race official just before the finish line on 16/3, in a rare incident.

Sheng was leading the men's marathon, nearing the finish line and aiming for a personal best (PB) under 2 hours 24 minutes. However, an official, appearing confused, pulled him aside, believing Sheng was a half marathon participant. The official then directed him to the lane designated for 21.0975 km athletes, instead of allowing him to cross the finish line.

Xueji Sheng stopped just before the finish line at Chongqing Wanzhou Marathon 2026.

Sheng protested and attempted to explain, but was held for a few minutes before being escorted back to the marathon finish line. Organizers then asked him to re-enact crossing the finish line for video and photographic purposes. Upon completion, the clock displayed 2 hours 24 minutes 18 seconds.

In a post-race statement, Sheng revealed he had repeatedly informed officials he was competing in the marathon distance, yet was still misdirected. Following verification, organizers adjusted his official time to compensate for the lost time.

Sheng's official result was recorded as 2 hours 23 minutes 53 seconds, more than one minute faster than his PB, securing his overall victory.

Such incidents are not common but are also not isolated. At the US Half Marathon 2026 on 1/3, the lead vehicle mistakenly took a wrong turn about 3 km from the finish line, causing three leading female athletes, Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat, to stray off the official course and lose their chance at the podium.

After the athletes protested – having initially lost prize money and rankings – organizers decided to fully reinstate their prize money and recognize two separate podiums to rectify the error.

Hong Duy (according to Canadian Running Magazine)