Moshe Lederfien, a 70-year-old Israeli marathoner who has grow to be well-known for balancing a pineapple on his head throughout marathons, has obtained scrutiny from Spanish residents after he didn’t run the total course on the 2024 Zurich Marathon de Sevilla on Sunday.
Lederfien crossed the end line on the Zurich Marathon de Sevilla in three hours, 21 minutes, and 48 seconds, which might have been a brand new Israeli masters M70+ age group file. Later, it got here out that he solely ran the second half of the race, beginning on the 25 km mark. The race didn’t disqualify his end result, however took him off the leaderboard for age-group prize functions. Lederfien would have completed second within the M70-74 age class.
A number of media retailers in Spain, like MARCA, reported on his jaw-dropping three-hour end result whereas balancing a pineapple, and have been referred to as out by Spanish residents. “Operating a half marathon with a pineapple in 3:21 is ok, particularly if it’s to boost consciousness. However it’s not 42.195 km at 4:46 tempo,” one runner wrote on X. “The man began working at 25 km… It’s inconceivable at that pace to make that point (which for half of individuals is unbelievable, for a 70-year-old particular person much more, and if he additionally has a pineapple on his head, infinitely extra),” wrote one other.
Lederfien has not come out and mentioned whether or not he meant to solely run half the course; however to activate the timing chip, he would have needed to cross the beginning line after which exit the course. Lederfien has beforehand participated in different marathons in Berlin, Valencia and New York; and in all of them, he has run with a pineapple on his head. “Fruit is without doubt one of the most necessary meals for folks, and I wish to convey that good to everybody,” Lederfien indicated in an interview with Time Information. “The target is to boost consciousness in regards to the well being advantages of consuming fruit and the significance of caring for the setting.”
The pineapple marathon man additionally has an Instagram account with 4,500 followers, the place he paperwork all of his races.
