Nairobi Marathon sees Kenyan runner start near finish before trying to claim 2nd place

The bold attempt to claim the 650,000 shilling prize was investigated after Julius Njogu hardly appeared to break a sweat

A dramatic finish to the contest for second place in this year's Nairobi Marathon was far from all it seemed.

Nabbing 2nd spot near the finish, 28-year-old Julius Njogu steamed towards the line as if the last 26 miles had hardly bothered him.

That indeed turned out to be the case after it was discovered that Njogu had joined the race in the final kilometre, hoping to claim the second place prize of 650,000 Kenyan Shillings (around £4,000) for very little effort.


 Julius Njogu passes Shadrack Kiptoo for second place before being disqualified
 (NTV Kenya)

Suspicions were aroused as Njogu crossed the line, appearing to be in quite good order compared to the winner, Joshua Kipkorir, who appeared understandably exhausted, as well as the man he had supposedly just beaten into third place.

His choice of footwear was also doubtful, having worn running shoes that professionals would only practice in, not to mention his unique build for a long distance runner.

As others headed to the medical tent for massages to soften the inevitable toll such a race causes on the human body, Njogu seemed fine without the treatment.

As a result, security and race officials quickly focused their attention on Njogu. After reviewing video footage and split times it was apparent that Njogu had joined the race as it reached the stadium for its last kilometer.

Attempts to prove his participation by showing officials his blistered feet came to no avail.

Reportedly, Njogu may now face fraud charges after being taken to a nearby Police station for questioning.

The women's marathon fell victim to similar cheating attempts in 2013, when two athletes had to be disqualified from the podium for cheating.