Ten months after being banned from the New York City Marathon for having two unauthorized vehicles on the course, American running influencer Matt Choi has found himself in hot water once again; this time over his Boston Marathon qualifier in Marquette, Mich.
On Aug. 30, Choi ran a 10-minute personal best of 2:47:25 at the Marquette Marathon in Michigan, finishing 13th overall. But according to Marathon Investigation, Choi may have violated race rules by using a videographer on a OneWheel board who acted as both a content creator and a mobile aid station.
According to the Marquette Marathon website, the rules are clear: “Runners are NOT permitted to bring their own personal pacer, crew, or mobile aid station.”
Despite that, a week later, Choi used his Marquette finishing time to submit his registration for the 2026 Boston Marathon. “2:47:25, what a blessing it is to be able to run a 10-minute PB in the marathon,” Choi wrote on Instagram. “There were multiple moments during this race when I was suffering where I reminded myself how grateful I am to be able to do this. It was amazing to train and race with Ethan Kwon & for both of us to hit BQ times.”
Not everyone in the field saw a problem. Winnipeg’s Jesse Kosowan, who finished four minutes behind Choi in 2:51:28, said the videographer didn’t interfere with his race. “He was just ahead of me for much of the race, and I didn’t have a problem with it,” Kosowan told Canadian Running. “I also didn’t see him accept any sort of aid, but Choi was only in sight until 15 km.”
Kosowan added that the Marquette Marathon is a minuscule race in comparison to something like the New York City Marathon, where Choi was previously disqualified, especially when it comes to the number of participants running under the three-hour mark (48). There were only 460 participants in the field.
Still, eyewitness accounts collected by Marathon Investigation tell a different story. One runner, who claimed not to know Choi until after reading the article, alleged that the videographer was “weaving in and out of runners on multiple occasions” and handing both Choi and his friend, Kwon, water and gels. Further investigation into the race’s official photos shows the videographer weaving between runners on his electric board.
Whether Choi broke the rules may come down to technicalities. The Marquette Marathon is not listed as a USATF-sanctioned event. If it were, USATF Rule 144 would apply, prohibiting participants from receiving aid outside official aid stations, which can lead to disqualification. Instead, any enforcement at the Marquette Marathon is left to the discretion of the race itself.
Canadian Running reached out to the marathon’s race director, Derek Lindstrom, for a comment, but he had not responded by the time of publication.
Running influencer enrages participants at New York City Marathon
After New York, Choi accepted his wrongdoing in an Instagram video and took full responsibility. “No excuses. E-bikes don’t belong in races. I was selfish & take full accountability for my actions, and apologize to all the runners impacted,” he wrote.
The Marquette Marathon is considered one of Michigan’s fastest Boston qualifiers, having a net elevation drop of over 250 metres along the Iron Ore Heritage Trail before finishing inside the town’s Superior Dome.
