Cape Town social media influencer Yuzriq Meyer has denied cheating claims at Two Oceans and Cape Town Marathon.
Image: Supplied
The gloves are off in Cape Town’s running community, with influencer Yuzriq Meyer hitting back at Running Mann blogger Stuart Mann after he accused him of cheating and misrepresenting his running achievements.
Mann took aim at Meyer in a scathing post on The Running Mann, questioning his participation in the two Oceans Marathon and the Cape Town Marathon and accusing him of claiming achievements he had not earned.
Meyer has denied cheating and has now fired back at Mann.
The spat follows questions over Meyer’s participation in the two races, with Two Oceans confirming to IOL Media that he was not officially entered in either its Ultra and Half Marathon.
Meyer has acknowledged he was not an official entrant but maintains he never claimed to be one.
He told IOL Media: “I’ve taken some time to read the article and, rather than respond emotionally to what is ultimately a very personal piece, I want to address it properly.
“There are serious allegations made about me, and I completely reject the suggestion that I have deliberately fabricated my running journey or set out to deceive people.
“Please don’t take something I have openly disclosed - that I was not officially entered into Two Oceans or the Cape Town Marathon - and present the absence of an official entry as proof that I secretly claimed an official finish.
“I won’t accept that narrative.”
But Meyer is not the only Cape Town runner to have had a public run-in with Mann.
Cape Town runner and coach Michael Obery, is currently locked in a court battle with Mann after his photograph was mistakenly used in connection with the Two Oceans bib-swapping scandal earlier this year.
Must Love Hills race crew founder and captain Obery was not involved in the bib-swapping incident.
Mann has acknowledged that Obery’s photograph was mistakenly published and maintains that the error was corrected and an apology issued on the same day.
Obery, however, alleges the incident damaged his reputation and livelihood and obtained an interim protection order against Mann. He is seeking to have the order made final, while Mann is opposing the application.
Mann, through The Running Mann, has become known for calling out alleged cheating in the running community, but he is also a member of the Two Oceans Marathon board.
