Watch ’embarrassing’ moment race leaders slow down ‘to let Chinese runner win’ Beijing half-marathon

THE BEIJING half-marathon is mired in controversy after winner He Jie was allowed to cross the line in first place.

The Chinese athlete won Sunday's event ahead of Kenyan runners Willy Mnangat and Robert Keter, as well as Ethiopian Dejene Hailu.

But the African trio slowed down and began to usher Jie towards the finish line in the final few hundred metres.

Mnangat later admitted to the South China Morning Post that he let Jie win the race "because he is my friend".

An investigation has been launched into the race by The Beijing Sports Bureau, the body in charge of sports.

Fans have questioned the authenticity of the race after a video of the finish was shared on social media.

One reacted saying: "What's going on here?"

Another added: "They must have been paid well. So embarrassing. They should be disqualified."

A third wrote: "Odd indeed."

And another commented: "You can clearly see they put in more effort letting him win than they'd have put in winning it."

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Jie crossed the line in a time of 1:03:44 , with his three competitors crossing the line just behind him.

The 25-year-old is China's national marathon record holder and won the Asian Games marathon in October 2023.