Alexa Curtis, a 26-year-old social media influencer, took to her online platforms on April 28 to share her accomplishment of completing the Brooklyn Half Marathon.
But there was one small catch: she hadn’t entered the race, and instead ran it as a bandit. And as influencers do, she didn’t help matters by seemingly boasting about her accomplishment.
Unsurprisingly, her achievement was met with significant backlash from the running community.
Here’s how it all went down.
After getting shelled in the comments for her IG post, Curtis detailed her “impromptu” decision, explaining that instead of formally registering for the event, she obtained information about the race’s starting and finishing points from a security guard and began running.
“I just ran 13.1 miles for the Brooklyn half marathon at a 7:43-minute [mile] pace. I didn’t walk at all. I cried during a lot of it. I went to bed at 10 p.m.” she said. “I didn’t charge my AirPods last night. I didn’t train for this. The most I’ve run in the past 13 months was six miles. I had two glasses of wine last night.”
In her post, Curtis likened the experience of running the half marathon to the challenges she faces in her daily life, saying, ”The only person I relied on to show up and cross that finish line today was myself.”
However, her actions sparked criticism across social media platforms, with many condemning her for engaging in bandit racing, a practice where individuals participate in an event without official registration or payment of entry fees.
Runners on Instagram were quick to express their disapproval, citing the financial and logistical implications of Curtis’s actions on the race organizers and the community. The Brooklyn Half Marathon carried a registration fee of $125 (USD), and Curtis’s response to criticisms, stating that “life’s not fair :(,” further fuelled the controversy.
“Shame on you. Banditing a race that people pay for and train for is so disrespectful. If you want to run do it on your own or with up, don’t hop into the race.”
“Wow. I hope @nycruns sees this so you can connect and pay the entry fee since you stole goods and services.”
“Bragging about stealing from a charity… what POS.”
After her post-race video went viral, Curtis was quick to post an apology, which includes her saying she made a donation to Tucks Travels as a “token of her remorse.”
However, the Internet wasn’t buying it, and critics were quick to share screenshots of previous social media posts, which prove her “last-minute decision” may not have truthful.
Really wasn't a last minute decision at all, was it? All along you planned to run and not pay. Tacky and dishonest. No wonder your life is a mess. pic.twitter.com/dF1jDnPoen
— Camilla Rhodes 🌺🇺🇲 (@_thisisthegirl_) April 30, 2024
Additionally, a social media sleuth shared a screenshot of her posing bib-less with a medal at the finish line of the 2023 Austin Half Marathon. That didn’t go over well either.
Could we have a serial bandit on our hands?
