Russian runner protests Phuket race organiser, throws medal away
A Russian runner criticised the organiser of a running event in Phuket after being accused of following the wrong route and being disqualified, insisting that the mistake was caused by the organiser rather than by him.
The Russian runner, Sergey Zyryanov, shared a video on social media showing himself throwing a medal from the Running@Wichit event into a rubbish bin.
In the caption, Zyryanov expressed anger and disappointment, stating that he had followed a lead vehicle throughout the race and crossed the finish line first. Despite this, organisers later informed him that he had taken an incorrect route and recorded his result as DNF (did not finish).
The incident quickly drew attention online, particularly among Thai runners. Several commented that similar problems had occurred at other running events in Thailand, where lead vehicles guided runners onto incorrect routes. Many urged the organiser to take responsibility for the error rather than penalising the athlete.
In another Facebook post, Zyryanov said he had enjoyed the race and believed he had won fairly. He added that he was shocked by the decision and wrote in Thai…
“They thought I was easy to be deceived because I’m a foreigner. They are now losing all the reputation. I hope this event will no longer happen. Thank you everyone for cheering me up.”
In another post addressing the controversy, Zyryanov insisted that the lead car, accompanying motorcycles, and event staff were all present around him during the race, yet no one warned him that he was heading in the wrong direction. He ended the post by saying…
“I no longer trust running event organisers in Thailand from now on.”
While many Thai netizens and foreign runners offered him encouragement, others cautioned against generalising all Thai race organisers. Some pointed out that Zyryanov had previously taken part in, and won prizes at, several running events in Thailand without encountering similar issues.
Following the public backlash, the organiser of the event, Wichit Sub-district Municipality, clarified the situation in an interview with DailyNews. Officials said Zyryanov ran past the lead vehicle after it slowed down due to another car ahead, resulting in him taking an incorrect route and missing a checkpoint.
The municipality later issued an official statement explaining that the runner continued straight along the main road instead of turning into Soi Fueng Fu, which was part of the designated race route. Because he missed the checkpoint, his time could not be fully recorded, and he was deemed ineligible for prizes.
At the end of the statement, the municipality praised Zyryanov’s athletic ability and competitive spirit, adding that lessons from the incident would be used to improve route management and communication at future events.
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