Odenton Man Disqualified from Military Race After Illegally Transferring Bib

An Odenton man was named the first person to cross the Marine Corps 17.75K earlier this month, but it turns out he never even ran the race.

Marine Corps Marathon officials announced in a press release this week that although Steven Henry, 38, took the gold for the race, Gerardo Avila of Triangle, Va., actually ran in his place and wore Henry’s bib. Because the illegal transfer violated MCM policy, officials told the Military Times, both men have been suspended from remaining MCM events this year.

“Participation in any MCM event echoes the U.S. Marine Corps values of honor, courage and commitment,” MCM director Rick Nealis said in the release, from April 16. "What these two runners did defied these ideals. They badly misjudged the conviction of the Marines, our commitment to these core values and the integrity of our sport.”

MCM policy allows only for official transfers of marathon bibs, or for marathon-to-10K transfers, according to the Military Times.

Marine Corps 17.75K second-place finisher Jeremy Lynch, 33, of Springfield, Va., is now being named the winner of the race.