A senior editor at a prestigious running magazine has been accused of posting misleading timings for the London Marathon.

Kate Carter – who has held a world record for being the fastest woman to run a marathon in a full-body costume – is alleged to have posted fake times at last year’s event.

It comes as Carter, 47, appears to have disabled both her Instagram and ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, accounts.

It’s claimed there was no evidence to show that Carter ran the entire race and may have used software to ‘manually’ create GPS data based on a course map that was four years out of date.

The amateur athlete who is Commissioning Editor at Runner’s World magazine has also come under suspicion for alleged ‘course cutting’ at the London Landmarks Half Marathon last April.  

It’s alleged that Carter posted an impressive official time but there is no record of her taking part in nearly half the 13.1 mile race.

Marathon runner Kate Carter (pictured) holding her medal after completing the Lisbon Half Marathon

Ms Carter (pictured right) after completing the New York City Marathon

Ms Carter (pictured) taking part in the Loch Ness Marathon held in Inverness 

The bombshell allegations were published by American blogger Derek Murphy who has previously exposed a series of cheats at high-profile races around the world.

He published a raft of ‘evidence’ on the Marathon Investigation website after a tip off led to him scrutinising photos, videos and GPS data.

Murphy said he launched his probe after ‘the evidence of Kate’s misdeeds were handed to me in meticulous detail’.

Oxford-educated Carter has held her senior role at the magazine which is known as ‘the runner’s bible’ since August 2022.

She has previously worked as a freelance television producer for the BBC and Channel 4 and was Life and Style Editor at the Guardian for more than 11 years – and her husband Sean still works there as a sports journalist. They have two children.

In 2019 she set a Guinness World Record after running the London Marathon dressed as a panda – finishing the distance 25 minutes faster than any woman had previously done while dressed in a full body costume.

She was photographed at the start of last year’s event with Kenya’s legendary Eliud Kipchoge.

Murphy wrote on his blog: ‘Kate is a trusted member of the running media community, and is regularly flown abroad by clothing brands for articles and publicity in her capacity as a journalist.

Ms Carter (pictured) after running the Boston Marathon pre-Covid where she was awarded the Six Star Finisher medal

Ms Carter (pictured) running through Embankment during the London Marathon, 2023

Ms Carter (pictured) wearing two gold medals that she won following the Surrey & Sussex Masters champs 

‘On account of her photograph of Eliud Kipchoge at the start line, it appears she was also a VIP at the 2023 event.

‘This degree of access and privilege in the running community, particularly around an event as coveted as the London Marathon, should come with a high degree of respect and integrity.

‘If these anomalies are what they seem to be, Kate’s behaviour regarding her results is unethical and completely at odds with the tenets of journalism, and with running at every level.’

Carter apparently ran last year’s London Marathon without her number bib which contains a timing chip that enables runners to be tracked and records official times.

But she posted statistics on Strava – a training app which athletes use to share their own times and performances in races.

Murphy claims to have uncovered evidence that the entries were fake.

He wrote: ‘Without going into excruciating detail, the GPS entry was almost assuredly created manually. It most certainly does not follow the London Marathon course.

‘The course follows the 2019 course, not the 2023 course.’

Ms Carter (pictured) in Gran Canaria for a Trail Summit with Brooks Running UK 

Ms Carter (pictured) running in Prague where she set a personal best of 18:56 

He added that Carter had taken ‘sloppy detours’ that are easy to miss when manually creating a run’

He wrote: ‘It is unclear if she ran all, or part of the course, and in what time.’

He questioned why Carter would run such a prestigious race untimed and ‘fake the entry on Strava’.

Records for the London Landmarks Half Marathon show that Carter completed the race in a time of one hour 32 minutes and 12 seconds.

She was the fourth fastest in her age category and finished 42nd among the 10,017 women who reached the finish line.

But Murphy highlights how there was no evidence to show she had taken part in a 10 kilometre section of the 21 kilometre race.

The runner had no time recorded at the 15 kilometre mark and there were no photographs taken of her during that section of the course.

Records show that Carter completed the first 10 kilometres in a time of 48 minutes and six seconds.

While failing to record a time at the 15 kilometre mark, she ran the second 10 kilometres of the race in just over 39 minutes after apparently dramatically stepping up the pace.

It comes as organisers of the London Landmarks Half Marathon said all runners taking part in the event are expected to complete the course fairly.

The London Landmarks Half Marathon has raised more than £37.5 million for baby charity, Tommy’s and other good causes since its first event in 2018.

A spokesperson said: ‘London Landmarks Half Marathon is a not-for-profit event which fundraises for Tommy’s and our many charity partners.

‘Our aim is to deliver an event that is fun, inclusive and open to anyone no matter their running ability. Our runners range from competitive runners to fun runners and those running for charity.

‘Everyone participates for a personal reason, be that fundraising for a cause close to their heart, the sense of personal achievement or a PB – and we expect any runner crossing the finish line to have completed the full course and know they have done so legitimately.’

New-York based publishing giant Hearst Magazines, which owns Runner’s World, has been contacted for comment. 

It’s further alleged that Carter’s running bib had been ‘manipulated’ and becoming ‘obscured’ during the lost part of the race.

Photographs also seemed to contradict claims that she had posted someone else’s GPS data as her Garmin watch had ‘died’ during the race.

Carter declined to comment about the allegations when approached by MailOnline at her home in Wandsworth, South West London.

She said enquiries should be directed through the publishers of Runner’s World adding: ‘I’m not speaking to you.’

The publishers did not respond to request for comment. Neither did marathon organisers.

Carter also declined to respond to Marathon Investigation enquiries, prompting fellow runners to make critical posts on her Instagram account which have since been deleted.

One critic, British triathlon’s David Pearson, said: ‘It’s a real shame people feel the need to do this, especially as journalists should have a special commitment to the truth.

‘But it’s heartening to see it exposed when it happens.

‘Gives you faith there are people out there who care about the integrity of the sport.’