Great North Run competitor is banned for LIFE after he boasted on Instagram about skipping a barrier during 13-mile endurance race
- Henri Hesketh posted picture of himself with medal after the race last Sunday
- Caption read, ‘…hopped a barrier and ran a half-marathon, what a weekend’
- Race organisers said he would ‘not be welcome’ at Great North events in future
A runner has been banned for life from the Great North Run after he boasted that he ‘hopped a barrier’ during the 13-mile half-marathon.
Henri Hesketh posted a picture on Instagram of himself wearing a medal and holding a goodie bag at the finish line of the race last Sunday in which he made the boast.
In a caption beneath the photo, he wrote, ‘…hopped a barrier and ran a half-marathon, what a weekend’.
Henri Hesketh posted a picture on Instagram of himself wearing a medal and holding a goodie bag at the finish line of the Great North Run last Sunday (right) in which he wrote that he ‘…hopped a barrier and ran a half-marathon, what a weekend’
Hesketh has since been banned for life from competing in the Great North Run after admitting on Instagram that he had ‘hopped a barrier’. Above: The original caption on the image
But he was then told by the race’s organisers that he ‘would not be welcome’ at the race in future.
A spokesman told the Mirror: ‘It’s strictly against our terms and conditions to swap or sell numbers, or take part in the race without following the proper entry procedure.
‘Our participants well-being is our number one priority, running in someone else’s number means we have a lack of information on the runner should we ever need it in a welfare situation.
Hesketh, pictured above, was told by the race’s organisers that he ‘would not be welcome’ at the race in future
‘Henri Hesketh’s actions at the Great North Run on Sunday were not in keeping with our procedures or the spirit of the race and he will not be welcome at Great Run events going forward.’
It is understood that officials are also investigating claims that he used another entrant’s spare race number to deceive them.
Mr Hesketh, who states he is from Manchester on his social media profiles, has yet to reply to a comment request.
More than 50,000 runners competed in this year’s event in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Runners pay £55 to enter the ballot for a spot on the starting line of what is the most popular half-marathon in the world.
More than 50,000 runners competed in this year’s event in Newcastle upon Tyne