Boston Marathon

Matt Choi, who has more than a million followers across social platforms, has become a controversial figure in the online running world.

Share

Send this article to your social connections.

A controversial running influencer — with a lengthy history of race-day violations and a lifetime ban from New York races — is preparing to run the Boston Marathon next week. 

Matt Choi, who has more than a million social media followers across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, has become a controversial figure in the online running world. His violations have garnered national headlines, from The New York Times to running news outlets. 

His most high profile violation came when he brought e-bikes on the New York Marathon course to film him for content in 2024. He was banned for life from all New York Road Runner races, including the marathon, the organization confirmed to Boston.com.

Now, he’s tackling Boston’s infamously hilly course.

“This is one of the best races in the world,” Choi wrote on Instagram. “See yall in Boston.”

The Boston Athletic Association did not return a request for comment.

Some runners voiced concern on social media about Choi’s pattern of violations.

“Anyone else worried about Matt Choi?” a runner asked on Reddit, pointing out that he earned his Boston Marathon qualifying time at the Marquette Marathon, allegedly accompanied by a videographer and mobile aid station.  “Boston is a big race, hopefully BAA is aware of his history and will be vigilant and crack down on any of his malarkey,” the post said.

What are the runner’s previous violations?

In 2023, Choi, a former D1 football player, ran the Houston Marathon wearing someone else’s bib, a move that could get a runner disqualified in Boston. In a TikTok video, he said he forgot to sign up, and he ran with a bib belong to a friend who had been injured.

“I never heard the term ‘bib mule’ until just a few days ago, ” Choi said, while acknowledging the Houston Marathon does not allow the transfer of bibs. “My intent was not to qualify for another person or to cheat the system. I honestly just wanted to run.” 

That same year, Choi brought a two-person camera crew on e-bikes to film him running the Austin Marathon. One of the bikes reportedly weaved through race traffic and cut off runners, according to Running Magazine.

When he brought the same crew on the course of the New York City Marathon, race organizers banned him for life. Presumably to celebrate April Fools Day, Choi said on social media that he’d be returning this year to run the world’s largest marathon.

“Matt Choi continues to be banned from all New York Road Runners races,” a spokesperson for the NYRR said in a statement, adding that the organization does not allow runners to be accompanied by vehicles of any kind on the race course.

And, just last month, Choi was disqualified from a half-ironman in Galveston, Texas, according to the runner and official results. He failed to take a two-minute penalty break in a penalty zone, a mistake Choi said is part of “learning curve when doing a new sport.”

Now, Choi, who did not return multiple requests for comment,  is sharing his preparation for the Boston Marathon.