CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two days after the race, Daniel Mesfun of Eritrea was officially named champion of the 2018 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon in the men's division.
Marathon director Jack Staph made the announcement at a Tuesday afternoon news conference at the Renaissance Hotel.
Staph read from a written statement:
"Our investigation yielded two consideration that led us to this final decision -- the results of the men's marathon race will stand. Daniel Mesfun's victory is official. As we investigated, we first sought to determine if a clear-cut rules violation indeed took place. We looked at video from the race; language on our website; USA Track and Field's rules; what we communicate to runners at registration and in advance of the race.
"We concluded there was a lot of gray area. There's no denying his bib was covered at times. But it's also evident that Mr. Terer knew Mr. Mesfun was a fellow marathon competitor. And we do not believe Mr. Mesfun was intending to deceive anyone to gain an advantage.
"Second, in the follow-up conversations we had with the runners involved, Mr. Terer showed a great deal of integrity. He conceded he would not have been able to catch Mr. Mesfun after he was passed late in the race, he ultimately withdrew his complaint. And obviously that weighed heavy for us, also."
