Following an investigation, organizers have disqualified He Jie’s first-place finish in the Beijing Half Marathon last weekend, confirming that three other runners had slowed down to let him win the race.

All four runners have been disqualified and were required to return their medals and award money.

Chinese online users had shared video footage from the final moments of Sunday’s race, suspecting it had been rigged. The footage showed three African runners allowing He, China’s top long-distance runner, to move ahead of them shortly before reaching the finish line.

The three runners deliberately reduced their pace, according to a statement from a committee established to investigate the race.

The special committee revealed that four runners had originally been hired as pacemakers by a sponsor, but the main organizers of the race were unaware of this. One of the pacemakers did not finish the race.

While the statement did not acknowledge whether the race was rigged, it did issue an apology.

“We deeply and sincerely apologize to the world and to every part of society, that we did not discover and correct the mistakes in time at this race,” the committee said. Zhong’ao Lupao Sports Management Co, the main organizer, is losing its right to host the Beijing Half Marathon as punishment.

One of the runners told BBC Sport Africa that they allowed He to win because they had been hired to serve as pacemakers and were not competing to win the race.

“I was not there to compete,” Willy Mnangat of Kenya was quoted as saying. “My job was to set the pace and help the guy win, but unfortunately, he did not achieve the target, which was to break the national record.”