TOWIE star James Argent’s sister hits back at London Marathon cheating claims: ‘I panicked and got lost’

Natasha Argent said she accepted the finishers medal because she was "confused"
Hitting back: Natasha Argent has explained her timings for the race
Instagram/ James Argent
Emma Powell10 May 2016
The Weekender

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TOWIE star James Argent’s sister Natasha has hit back at claims suggesting she cheated in the London Marathon, insisting she suffered a panic attack and got lost.

Natasha, 26, was accused of cheating by eagle-eyed members of the public who noticed her time sheet appeared to suggest that she had completed the final 20km in less than one hour – faster than elite men’s winner Eliud Kipchoge.

An investigation was launched by the Virgin Money London Marathon and she was later asked to return her race medal and was banned from taking part in future events.

The former Take Me Out contestant has now told OK! magazine she had been running at a "steady pace and enjoying the atmosphere" when suddenly she "felt really tense" and stopped because it "felt like [she] couldn't breathe".

Explaining why she appeared to go missing for half of the race before eventually crossing the finish line she told the publication: “I kept running for probably a mile and then went over to a marshall. I told him I had gone wrong and asked him to get me back to the place I should be, as I knew I hadn't seen my parents who were waiting at Canary Wharf. I was genuinely lost.”

A “disorientated” Natasha said she had no choice but to keep going after claiming the marshall told her there was “no way” of going back.

"People were cheering me on and I felt like I didn't deserve the cheers," she said. "It was just awful."

Natasha – whose brother James praised his sister alongside a picture of her holding her medal on finishing – admitted she should not have taken the medal, but was “confused”.

Time sheet: Natasha Argent's time sheet

Her recorded time for completing the 26.2 mile race was 3 hours and 44 minutes.

According to her timings she started the race at 10:16am before reaching the 20km mark at 12:33pm. But times were missing for the halfway point, 25km, 30km and 35km. The next time recorded was 1:21pm at 40km which would mean she completed 20km in under an hour.

Hugh Brasher, event director of the Virgin Money London Marathon, told Standard Online: "Our results team has been in touch with Natasha Argent, along with a small number of other runners, to request an explanation for the missing split times in her results from Sunday’s Virgin Money London Marathon.

“At her request, we have removed her results from the system and she will be returning her finisher’s medal to us.”

Brasher added: “In accordance with our policy, she will not be able to participate in any future event organised by London Marathon Events.”

In Pictures: London Marathon 2016

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Read the full interview with Natasha in this week’s issue of OK! magazine.

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