Advertisement Fake bibs being probed by Boston Marathon organizers Local woman 'shocked' to find NYC fashion writer running with her number Share Shares Copy Link Copy

WCVB, WMUR's affiliate, has learned that marathon organizers are investigating several reports of counterfeit bibs being used in Monday's race. One local woman was shocked to discover someone else was running with her number.WCVB's Team 5 Investigates' Karen Anderson reports she was even more surprised when she learned the identity of the stranger.After finishing the Marathon and raising thousands of dollars for charity, Kathy Brown had her cherished medal and couldn't wait to check out her official photos."I opened it up looking for the pictures of me and there were some in there and they came out really good, but then I saw this other woman," said Brown.Brown told WCVB's Team 5 Investigates she was stunned to see that a woman wearing a bib with her number. It's a number she said she earned by following the rules and raising money to fight multiple sclerosis, a disease that claimed her uncle's life."I was a little dumbstruck. I didn't get it at first. I said Marathonfoto must have gotten me confused with someone else," said Brown.Looking closer Brown noticed a Twitter handle on the bib and it didn't take her long to figure out it was Chelsa Crowley, a New York city stylist and fashion writer who was running with her husband Dennis Crowley, the founder of Foursquare."I put that work in it and it wasn't fair that someone else didn't have to do that. That was my first thought," said Brown.Crowley tweeted on April 4, 2014, that she was looking for a bib.On Marathon Monday, someone tweeted to her "Fake bib? 34033" The next day she replied "Shhh.""It was pretty easy to figure out that someone just made a fake bib," said Brown.Team 5 Investigates contacted the couple.Dennis Crowley admitted they made up a number for his wife but said there was no malicious intent.They had run the marathon together last year but got separated near the finish line before the bombs went off. After that emotional experience, they wanted to run together again.Crowley said he had an official number because he didn't finish last year but his wife couldn't get one. They said they donated $5,000 to charity this year."I understand she wanted to support her husband and wasn't thinking of me, or wasn't disgracing my charity. She just wanted to help her husband. But there are ways you can do that, there were probably 25,000 charity numbers, anyone could have done that. But I just think everyone should have gone about it the right way and done it the fair way that we all did," said Brown.A spokesperson for the Boston Athletics Association said the rules are clear: no one is allowed to wear the bib number of an official entrant. In a written statement, the B.A.A. told Team 5 they'll review all complaints, including this one "with full consideration to the impact of cheating on those who have worked so hard to qualify and those who give so much of themselves to raise money for our outstanding local charities." In the past, some individuals who have been found to have duplicated bibs have been disallowed from running future marathons and other B.A.A. races.