Influencer high fived Ariana Grande at the NYC Marathon, then a man who waited 10 years to get in saw the photos and recognized his own bib number

Content creator Mike Clarke is banned from the 2027 New York City Marathon after organizers said he used a counterfeit race bib to run in this year’s event, as reported by Dexerto. Clarke completed the full 26.2-mile course even though he never officially registered for the race.

The situation gained attention when Clarke posted footage of himself high-fiving Ariana Grande near the finish line, and the clip spread widely on social media. The bib number he wore, 4207, belonged to Nicolas Bourot, the chief security officer for the French banking group BPCE. Bourot said he had spent 10 years trying to get a spot in the race.

Bourot said he found out someone else was using his number after he saw photos of the influencer on the course. “It’s not fair for all the runners because it’s very hard to get entrance to this marathon. I waited for 10 years before I was able to. Every year I try, I try, I try,” he told the New York Post. Bourot was initially worried the stunt might affect his own official results, but his finishing time of 3:23:23 was not affected.

He admitted he was never registered

Clarke addressed his actions in a YouTube video that has since been removed. He admitted he was not registered and had been racing under another runner’s bib, but he defended his decision to take part. “At the end of the day they can call it unfair or cheating the system but for me it was to push my limits while running for this goal and have fun while doing it,” he said.

Clarke said he chose that specific number because it was connected to a friend who had died and who had dreamed of finishing the world’s major marathons. He also said he received a finisher’s medal but gave it to a child.

New York Road Runners confirmed the ban after getting multiple reports about the fake bib. A spokesperson for the organization said, “When individuals fraudulently enter our events, they jeopardize everyone’s safety.”

Getting into the race through official channels has become very difficult. New York Road Runners received a record 240,000 or more applications from more than 160 countries for the 2026 drawing, and only about 1% of applicants were accepted, per Running Magazine.

Clarke is not the first influencer to face consequences at the New York City Marathon. In 2024, TikToker Matt Choi received a lifetime ban after having two people follow him on electric bikes to film his race.

Chinese fitness influencer Abeeeer lost her Brooks sponsorship after she was caught riding a bicycle during the 2026 Berlin Marathon. She had first been celebrating a marathon finish as a personal best.