American ultrarunning champion accused of modifying her competitors’ Wikipedia pages

It’s a story of ego and dishonesty that makes you smile. However, this American athlete could suffer significant financial consequences. The ultra-marathoner, Camille Herron, 42, and her husband were singled out for having deleted the exploits of the athlete’s competitors on their Wikipedia pages, reports the specialist magazine Canadian Running.

For several months, even years, Camille Herron and her coach husband, Conor Holt, have allegedly made a habit of modifying the pages of the online encyclopedia of certain athletes, removing their distinctions and adding them to Herron’s page.

The “boasts” of its competitors

Phrases like “widely considered one of the best trail runners of all time” were removed from the page of Kilian Jornet, a mountaineer and Spanish trail champion, or that of athlete Courtney Dauwalter. The mention of “bragging” was made in a note on the site in order to justify these modifications.

At the same time, the expression appeared on the page of the 2015 100 km world champion and regular holder of new records in this long-distance running discipline.

Other exploits or positive expressions describing athletes have also disappeared from the pages of the number 1 of the 2018 Boston marathon, Desiree Linden or Yiannis Kouros, the “Greek legend of the ultra-marathon”, as the Canadian magazine describes it. .

“Camille has nothing to do with all of this”

Nothing illegal but enough to scold the sponsors of the sports car. Canadian sportswear brand Lululemon has withdrawn its financial support for the American runner. “We are committed to maintaining fair sporting competition for all and we intentionally partner with ambassadors who embody these same values,” explains the brand in a press release published by Canadian Running. After careful consideration and discussion, we have decided to end our ambassadorship partnership with Camille. »

All of the couple’s Wikipedia accounts have been suspended. While husband Conor Holt claimed to have acted alone. The coach sent explanations to the media Run Ultra: “Camille has nothing to do with all of this. I am 100% responsible and I apologize to all athletes affected by my malicious actions.”

According to him, it was a matter of protecting his wife from “the constant harassment” that she endures. Harassment which “severely” affects her mental health to the point that she now needs professional help.

The couple known for their behavior

In a statement, Trishul Cherns, president of the multi-day world marathon organization, said he was dismayed: “In forty-six years of ultra-marathoning, I have never seen someone as talented as Camille Herron, working to create divisions and animosity within the ultra-marathon community. »

According to this ultra-marathoner with a 46-year career, “this couple has a habit of trying to disrupt athletes, their reputation, their races and their performances”. “Dismayed”, the ex-runner believes that “this unsporting behavior is intimidating and petty and has no place in the ultra-marathon community. »