Does the New York City Marathon have a counterfeit bib problem?
A Canadian Running investigation found that 10 individuals from a New Jersey run crew fabricated bibs to run this year's race
Photo: NYRR/MarathonFoto
The TCS New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world. And with only about three per cent of lottery applicants accepted each year, some runners will do anything to secure a coveted spot on the start line, including leaping physical, ethical and legal barriers.
According to the results and post-race photos, almost a dozen members from a New Jersey run group used forged race bibs (or no bibs at all) to run the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon for free. According to a source, one runner from the group helped half a dozen of his friends obtain fake bibs after they failed to gain entry.
While marathon bib fraud is not new, incidents like this heighten concerns around fairness, especially when 59,000 other runners are paying US$350 to get a spot on the start line and a medal at the finish. Even though their fake bibs don’t show up in the results, they still drain race-day resources and mess with photo IDs.
The investigation
Our investigation revealed that two counterfeit bib numbers were reused across multiple runners. One of the fake bibs, 77324, appeared to have been generated from Italian running influencer Lisa Migliorini (@thefashionjogger), who shared her legitimate bib number on social media days before the race. The ringleader, who follows Migliorini on social media, is believed to have copied her bib number after it was posted to her page on Oct. 30, and added an extra digit (4) to create the fake bibs.
New York Road Runners (NYRR), the organizer of the marathon, confirmed that no bib numbers were issued in the 77,000-78,000 range for the 2025 race, confirming that these bibs were fabricated.
Another bib, 4761, belonged to the ringleader’s friend, who did not run this year’s race. That bib number appeared to be copied and laminated for at least two other runners.
In addition to the forged bibs, at least four others from the same New Jersey run group, including the ringleader himself, ran the marathon without bibs. All collected NYC finisher medals and posted their results on Strava with “NYC Marathon” titles.
Another male member of the ring ran using bib 10218, which belonged to a woman. NYRR’s official rules of competition strictly prohibit bib transfers or bib-sharing.
Are there other cases?
As participation in major marathons such as New York continues to grow, so does the number of runners attempting to sneak into the race. In recent years, organizers estimate that hundreds of people each year participate with fabricated or duplicate bibs, or no bibs. This case of related suspects is likely a fraction of the total number of bandits at this year’s event.
At the 2024 New York City Marathon, a viral TikTok video showed a race official kicking nearly a dozen bibless bandit runners off the course in Central Park, around the 40-kilometre mark. While the NYRR’s competition rules clearly state that all runners must wear an official, visible bib on the front of their torso, enforcing that rule among 60,000 finishers is nearly impossible.
@ilanawiles “Next year, try qualifying” 😂😂😂 Congrats to all the runners! #nycmarathon #nyc #nycmom
Some races have taken a harder stance. The Miami Marathon, which has roughly a third of New York’s field, has become known for its crackdown on bib bandits. Each year, race director Frankie Ruiz and his security team station themselves near the finish line to spot and remove unregistered runners before they can collect medals or post-race perks. Ruiz has said it’s “an easy effort to deter future offenders,” and the race has even taken it to social media, posting Hudl-themed highlight reels of the bandits who get caught.
What the NYRR rules say
According to New York Road Runners (NYRR) regulations, forging or copying race bibs constitutes a violation of race policy. Participants found guilty of bib fraud or unauthorized entry could face lifetime bans from NYRR events, and, in some cases, legal consequences for fraud or trespassing.
The running community has widely condemned bib duplication and unauthorized participation, noting that such actions can compromise logistics, medical response, and most importantly, the integrity of the race.
New York Road Runners said it will conduct a thorough investigation into this matter, and if confirmed, it could result in a ban from all NYRR races. “Falsifying bibs for any NYRR race is a flagrant violation of our rules of competition; disciplinary action for these types of actions ranges from being banned for one year to a lifetime ban. Each matter is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.”
Canadian Running also reached out to the ringleader for comment on Tuesday, but he had not responded by the time of publication.
