Kenyan Marathon Runner Facing Fraud Charges for Attempt to Steal 2nd Place

Julius Njogu was arrested and charged with fraud after attempting to cheat his way into second place at the Nairobi International Marathon in Kenya on Sunday, per the Associated Press.

Njogu, 28, reportedly hid in the crowd and joined the race with about one kilometer to go, joining the lead pack of runners before passing several participants and finishing in second place. That finish was worth about $7,000.

Race officials became suspicious of Njogu when he effortlessly crossed the finish line and literally hadn't even broken a sweat. Njogu removed his shoes to show officials blisters on his feet in an effort to prove he had run a full race, but officials and the authorities weren't convinced.

Joshua Kipkorir was the winner of the event, crossing the finish line in two hours, 13 minutes and 25 seconds.

According to the AP report, it wasn't the first time this sort of alleged fraud was committed at the Nairobi International Marathon. In 2013, two runners attempted to cheat in the women's race. It also isn't uncommon behavior at marathons in general, as in June, Alison Wade of Runner's World reported that course-cutting and bib-swapping at marathons are fairly common occurrences.