Approximately 11,000 runners at this year's Mexico City Marathon have been disqualified after thousands were found to have cut the course at some point during the 26.2-mile race, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.
The disqualified runners represented more than one-third of the 30,000-person field that entered the Aug. 27 race.
Marca reported Monday that the runners were disqualified after missing checkpoints that were placed every 5 kilometers. Some runners allegedly used vehicles or public transport to cut the course.
Race organizers said in a statement to Marca that they will continue to identify and disqualify runners who skipped sections of the race.
"The Mexico City Sports Institute informs that it will proceed to identify those cases in which participants of the XL Mexico City Marathon Telcel 2023 have demonstrated an unsportsmanlike attitude during the event and will invalidate their registration times," they said.
Last week, the Mexico City Sports Institute admitted in a statement that some runners "demonstrated an unsportsmanlike attitude" during the race.
"This great event not only represents an outstanding celebration for all the people of Mexico City, but it is also an occasion to reaffirm the transcendental values of sport", the statement said. "As advocates of the integrity in any competition, we fervently support these values that reinforce the essence of sports competition and its positive impact on our society.
"Therefore, the Mexico City Sports Institute informs that will proceed to identify those cases in which the participants of the XL Mexico City Marathon Telcel 2023 have demonstrated an unsportsmanlike attitude during the event and will invalidate their race times."
The Mexico City Marathon has had issues with rampant cheating in the past. In 2017, nearly 6,000 runners were disqualified for similar reasons, with more than 3,000 also being removed from the results the next year.
Bolivian runner Héctor Garibay Flores won the men's marathon in a course-record 2 hours, 8 minutes, 23 seconds, breaking the previous mark by more than two minutes. Kenyan Celestine Chepchirchir was the women's champion in 2:27:17.