LANSING, Mich — A website promoting a paid marathon in Lansing during Memorial Day weekend is a scam, according to city officials, who say the event does not exist and no permits have been issued for it.
The site, LansingMarathon.org, advertises five race distances with registration fees ranging from $30 to $100, accepting all major debit and credit cards. But the city confirmed there are no permits on file for the event and that Lansing has not hosted a marathon since 2012.
Longtime runner Janice Rumph first flagged the site.
"I went back and started looking at that site with a bit of a closer eye, and there were a few red flags," Rumph said.
Among those red flags: the site lists five race distances, but all three course maps are identical.
"There's five distances listed and all 3 have the same course map," Rumph said.
Despite that error, registration for each race remains open on the site. The registration page mimics the look of legitimate race platforms.
"The registration link the page you click on looks like a registration page that a lot of bug races use," Rumph said.
The site also lists several prominent local sponsors, including FOX 47 News, BWL, and former Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero. FOX 47 News confirmed it is not a sponsor, and all others contacted confirmed the same.
"They did a good job with the sponsors which is scary," Rumph said.
"It looks legit," Rumph said.
Ingham County Sheriff's Office Captain Chauncey Shattuck said it is not unusual for scammers to use technology to build convincing websites, and he urged the public not to ignore warning signs.
"We see scams on a daily basis and its constantly evolving," Shattuck said.
"Turn away, delete it, tell a friend and call us… chances are if you see the red flag others in the community see it too," Shattuck said.
FOX 47 News emailed the address listed on the LansingMarathon.org website but has not received a response. Rumph did not register for the event but said she hopes action is taken.
"I'd like to see it taken down," Rumph said.
It is unclear how many people may have registered and paid through the site. The matter has been brought to the attention of the city and the Lansing Police Department.
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