Did Mike Rossi (viral marathon dad) cheat his way into Boston?

I'm on my iPad. So I. Can't see it that well. I'll go back through the start photos though. I think you're right.

He walked over the finish, went back to his car & drive to the last relay site. Which is why he had to soak himself with water to appear covered in sweat.

I wonder (because I haven't gone through them) what do his other finish photos look like. Is he normally soaked after a marathon?

Doubt Boston would DQ him, since he ran the whole race. Unless they already have rules in place where fraudulent BQs get their Boston times thrown out or something.

I wish I was more eloquent but here is what I envision Mr Rossi letter to the RD will look like.

Dear MR Race Director,

While I appreciate your concern for the integrity of your race I can promise you I will learn much more by cheating and being able to run in the Boston Marathon so I can have my 15 minutes of fame.

My children need this once in a life time experience ( I can run the 26.2 miles anytime) they will learn about dedication, deception, internet shaming, civic pride, what it really means to be a cheater.

I purposely ran this race without my family so I could overcome my lack of training and dedication so I could take the easy way out and taking my car to the finish line.

They will also experience the ramifications of pissing off thousands of dedicated runners, and people worried about the integrity of their sport.

At Boston they will see many more people who trained hard and overcame many more obstacles then I ever could and earned their way to Boston.

These are things they won't truly learn in the classroom.

They will find out how fickle the internet can be and what happens when lairs are exposed. They won't have had to learn this for a few more years so really they are ahead of the game.

I appreciate the efforts of all the volunteers and everyone who works hard at putting these marathons on. I truly love the Marathon.

If I get the chance again I won't hesitate the take the easy way out and take someones rightful spot at Boston. So Therefore I deny your DNF because this means so much to me.

Sincerely,

Mike Rossi

Father

Maybe someone can contact this guy and see if he has more photos.

He finished in 3:27 something. If you click a photo on his blog you can click through the photos he took

http://smilingathills.blogspot.com/2013/09/lehigh-valley-via-marathon-small-town.html

wowzersss wrote:

Experienced Kip Watcher wrote:

Because repeatedly visiting a thread to pour scorn on the motives of those taking part (which includes you) is so much nobler I see. While you are at it, why not visit every thread on this site to which you don't personally approve and tell them what losers they are, go on, everyone will thank you for such a valuable service.

I could put my finger up my butt and smell it, and that would provide a more valuable service than this thread.

Why, do you need to scratch your forehead?

This is how you jump in without being noticed. Casually walk up to a porta-jon after getting dropped off, put race number back on inside said jon, and off you go. Not one soul would notice a thing.

runningbadger wrote:

I wish I was more eloquent...

I purposely ran this race without my family so I could overcome my lack of training and dedication so I could take the easy way out and taking my car to the finish line.

And I wish you "was" more eloquent because all you've done is attack my integrity once again, I didn't take "my car to the finish line" (I took it to the vicinity of the final relay change over site, there is a difference you know).

Ted Mulry Gang - Jump In My Car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPsa8MJU_50

Mirun wrote:

funny....with all this going on...look what I got in the mail today!!

http://i.imgur.com/syqjcC5.jpg?1

I don't know why this makes me laugh but he is using the picture from the good girl Gina meme

I know it is one of those photos any business can use for marketing but still.

Ted Mulry Gang wrote:

Ted Mulry Gang - Jump In My Car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPsa8MJU_50

or

Billy Ocean - Get out of out of my dreams and into my (BQ) car

AW, c'mon, Carrie Underwood has already been mentioned in this thread; doesn't that make "Before He Cheats" the requisite theme song? (Especially after the beating superdad has taken the last few days.

Ginberwyn wrote:

I head his show promoted today when I was in the car. It wasn't 92.xx though it was 93.7.

Two different guys on the air with the same name. The one at 93.7 WSTW is not the man who is subject of this tbread.

I even disregarded the naked woman besides me for a few more pages in this thread, and I am usually as much as a basement dweller as many others in here.

if you could rework the 'Before he Cheats' lyrics to this situation you'd be my idol.

Either way, I was re-reading Rossi's article in phillymag about the principal letter, and I came across this in the comments:

Mike Rossi • 10 days ago

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. But you're wrong. My children will probably never have the opportunity to see me in this prestigious and important event. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. It's not like going to Disney World. If you were in the Olympics would you leave your kids home to watch you on TV?

Again with the "once in a lifetime" thing, but hold the phone. He thinks Boston is the Olympics. He's delusional, yes, but somehow I just realized the emotions here are bigger and sadder than they were before.

Hvrunner67 wrote:

Funny you mention the half marathon start possibility. Here is a site that has hundreds of photos from the event. In picture # 5 there is a man with his back turned over the shoulder of a girl in a yellow top stretching her quads. All but the shoes are a match. The watch, fanny pack, shirt , shorts and hat. It got shot down in an earlier part of the thread but I still think it could be him. Check it out here.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/09/lehigh_valley_health_network_v_1.html

Btw he's not in any of the other of hundreds of unofficial race pics either!

This is likely him. There is someone blocking his shoes and it looks like it could be a runner sitting on a curb since those bright sneakers are facing the other direction. I don't know what this does for the case except place him there.

Hvrunner67 wrote:

Funny you mention the half marathon start possibility. Here is a site that has hundreds of photos from the event. In picture # 5 there is a man with his back turned over the shoulder of a girl in a yellow top stretching her quads. All but the shoes are a match. The watch, fanny pack, shirt , shorts and hat. It got shot down in an earlier part of the thread but I still think it could be him. Check it out here.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/09/lehigh_valley_health_network_v_1.html

Btw he's not in any of the other of hundreds of unofficial race pics either!

This is likely him. There is someone blocking his shoes and it looks like it could be a runner sitting on a curb since those bright sneakers are facing the other direction. I don't know what this does for the case except place him there.

"(cheats...) I did it, I did it! I'm going to the Olympics! Honey! kids! I'm an Olympian! God, this can't really be happening, but it has to be true, someone pinch me, am I dreaming?

Ahhh, that was hard work, so tiring, but I made it, somehow, I got there, I crossed the line, and I'm sweating, jeez I really am so wet right now, cuz I'm goin to the Boston Olympics baby!"

I talked to some timers that use chronotrack . Depending how the start mat info was put into the system they may or may not have differentiated which mat a person may have started at. It also depends on the system they used, there are a few I'm told.

The only problem with him starting at the half mat would still be the lack of pictures.

The evidence against him is overwhelming. Has he been DQ'd yet?