Derlys Ayala disqualified from Asunción International Marathon: “You learn from this”

Derlys Ayala finished second in the Asunción International Marathon, stepped onto the podium, and only afterward learned that officials had disqualified him.

The Paraguayan runner said he had left both his race number and competition shirt in a vehicle near the Palacio de López. With seven or eight minutes before the start, he ran back to retrieve them. He also tried to find a police officer who could take him back by motorcycle, but road closures made that impossible.

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When I got to the start, they had already left. Unfortunately, I started late.

“When I got to the start, they had already left. Unfortunately, I started late,” Ayala said. He crossed the starting gate about a minute after the field had departed and struggled to move through the other runners. He said the effort before the race affected his performance.

“I had already used up everything before starting. I couldn’t perform at 100% in the marathon,” he said. The disqualification notice cited his failure to report on time to the call room and a breach involving the clothing he wore for the competition.

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I had already used up everything before starting. I couldn’t perform at 100% in the marathon.

Ayala said he accepted the ruling and denied any intention of harming another competitor or club. He explained that he went onto the podium because organizers called him, before he knew a disqualification would follow. He congratulated winner Alberto Pizarro and said his main seasonal target remained the South American Marathon Championship.

“You learn from this,” Ayala said, describing the incident as the first such episode in his 24 years of running. He thanked supporters and said he would continue training for the season’s next challenges.

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You learn from this.