Make New York Post a Preferred Source This is a step too far.
A wannabe influencer who went viral for high-fiving Ariana Grande at the New York City Marathon had snuck into the race by stealing the identity of a high-level executive from France.
Mike Clarke, an online personality, has been banned from next year’s race after he made a fake version of banking boss Nicolas Bourot’s No. 4207 bib to jump the course and have a close encounter with the “God is a Woman” singer.
And though Bourot slammed Clarke’s actions as “not fair” — considering all he did to secure his legitimate number — the jogging fake refused to apologize for his dirty dash to the finish line.
“At the end of the day they can call it unfair or cheating the system but for me it was to push my limits while running for this goal and have fun while doing it,” Clarke told The Post in a text Wednesday.
He even bragged in a written message: “After race, I received a medal but gave it to a kid afterwards haha!”
The content creator told The Post he picked the number that turned out to be Bourot’s because of its attachment to a friend who died. He said he had no idea it was connected to the Chief Security Officer for Groupe BPCE, the second-largest banking group in France.
“My friend who passed wanted to run all the world majors and was hoping to do New York in 2028. Did it in honor of him … obviously for fun,” Clarke said.
Clarke claims his counterfeit bib was so good that he was able to run the entirety of the 26.2-mile race, despite the beefed-up security stationed at the start lines.
He even went on social media to brag that he had snuck into the highly exclusive race, even admitting in a now-deleted YouTube video that he “wasn’t officially registered.”
Clarke posted videos across various social media channels about his race, including high-fiving Grande near the finish line — which went viral when it was shared by a popular account.
He even appeared in the marathon gallery pictures, but under Bourot’s name — which is how the Frenchman discovered his bib had been stolen.
“It’s not fair for all the runners because it’s very hard to get entrance to this marathon. I waited for 10 years before I was able to. Every year I try, I try, I try,” Bourot told The Post from Paris.
Upon realizing the theft, Bourot, a member of the 139-year-old SAM Paris 12 running club, was immediately concerned that the dual bib numbers would have affected his time and rushed to check the race stats.
Fortunately, Bourot’s time was accurate — but he’s still questioning the content creator was able to go over the finish line without being caught.
Road Runners, the marathon organizers, has not assigned “bandit catchers” — the devoted crew that intercepts unregistered runners from the race — in years, instead relying on security at the beginning of the race, representatives told The Post ahead of the event.
The organizing body told The Post that Clarke was banned from next year’s race for jumping in illegally after it received multiple reports of his counterfeit bib.
“When individuals fraudulently enter our events, they jeopardize everyone’s safety. These acts are egregious and are antithetical to supporting the sport of running and its community,” a spokesperson said.
As for Bourot, he refused to let some punk ruin his first time in the Big Apple.
The Frenchman finally gained entry for the 50th anniversary after 10 years of trying — and his wife and friends surprised him with plane tickets, hotel stays and more for the occasion and as a gift for his 50th birthday. He finished in 3:23:23.
“It was so special to run for that. I sent pictures every five kilometers saying, ‘Hey, I’m on the race. I am here, the weather is nice!'” said Bourot.
“I wanted to enjoy every minute of the marathon. I took bottles from people on the street, I take some [confetti] from the floor, I eat some food, it’s amazing. I ran 10 marathons before, but none is like New York.
“It’s a very, very special event.”
