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

I agree with Greg, there is a BIG difference between going after one's family and posting a public picture of the guy which happens to have his children in the photo. Posting a public picture that happens to have his kids is not attacking the kids.

I contacted the authors of all on-line media outlets via Twitter that Mike Rossi or others have linked to. I'm kind of lazy so I didn't try to locate every single article or news coverage on my own but if it was mentioned here or on his page, it got a note. So far I got exactly one response from Tommy Rowan from philly.com:

Kind of tells you the level of investigative reporting we're dealing with here...

I also contacted the Via Marathon and cc'd the BAA. I received the following this morning:

Some people bitch and moan, others take action...

That's not the same Mike Rossi.

GregTR wrote:

not legit wrote:

These paces are far from a legit 3:11 race. As a hobby jogger, I run faster in training, and I am a 3:17 - 3:20 marathoner at best. And I have my training log with splits and GPS track from every single race to account for it. He cheated.

Actually 7:50/mile falls right in line with McMillan's recommended paces for a 3:11 marathoner. If he really held sub-8 for 18 miles, which he did by evidence of the Nike log then his training pace is indeed in line with a marathon in the 3:1X range.

However he still has to explain:

1) Why no tune-up races with matching performances?

2) Why accurate logs and tracks of your 6.5 mile training run and your 10 miler but no track of your marathon?

3) Where are your race photos?

Yes if it was a slow distance run, they would. Not if it was a race pace run, which I think it was. And which falls right into his 3:43 time in Philly. But I do agree with you, there is absolutely no proof he is capable of that pace based on other races.

Greg, thanks.

As noted early the philly.com posts are being deleted. I wonder why they are deleting them. I have off this week so I have some free time, to help with making sure the truth gets out there.

The fact that you guys care this much about a guy who isn't even competitive is sad. Anyone who trains half way can qualify and run boston. This isn't an olympic cheating scandal. The guy in question is likely a turd, but you all need to get a life.

not really wrote:

Yes if it was a slow distance run, they would. Not if it was a race pace run, which I think it was. And which falls right into his 3:43 time in Philly. But I do agree with you, there is absolutely no proof he is capable of that pace based on other races.

The only tell-tale sign that the 18 miler was not an "easy pace" is the walk breaks. I never walked in an 18 mile long run in my life. If we had HR data it would be a bit more telling what effort it was. Right now we can only gauge pace but not effort.

Tommy Rowan's response is just sad. Clearly general public has no idea what it means to finish a marathon in a certain time, nor do they care. Pathetic.

I wrote to a few journalists but I am not on Twitter so cannot contact many of them.

I have also written to Lehigh Valley RD yesterday and received the same response as you:

"Thank you for contacting the Via Marathon. Our 2015 race will include split timing mats and we are currently in the process of designing the plan with our timing company.

We have also contacted the USATF to assist us with an investigation into the accusation of cheating as it relates to this email.

Thank you for your email and be assured that we take this matter very seriously. We will communicate results as they become available.

Regards,

Barb McKeever

Race Director

Via Marathon"

People who care about the legitimacy of the sport are pursing this. You obviously don't care and yet you are still reading the thread and posting on it. Remind us who needs to get a life again?

Dial it up wrote:

The fact that you guys care this much about a guy who isn't even competitive is sad. Anyone who trains half way can qualify and run boston. This isn't an olympic cheating scandal. The guy in question is likely a turd, but you all need to get a life.

The other problem with his miraculous 3:11 is that it came when he was 46 and after only two years of racing. By comparison, I ran a 3:08 after two years of racing. I was running 5ks in the 19:30-20:00 range and 1/2 marathons in the 1:30 range. BUT I WAS 32 YEARS OLD. And I am built like a runner (5'8", 135 lb). I am now in my mid forties and can tell you with absolute certainty that a guy in his mid forties who is built like Rossi does not go from running 22 min 5ks and 3:45-4 hour marathons to running a 3:11 marathon. It just doesn't happen.

Dial it up wrote:

...Anyone who trains half way can qualify and run boston...

Then why cheat? Why steal a spot from someone who does train? That's why there are qualifying standards - so that people who have put in the work get to run and those who haven't don't.

Dial it up wrote:

The fact that you guys care this much about a guy who isn't even competitive is sad. Anyone who trains half way can qualify and run boston. This isn't an olympic cheating scandal. The guy in question is likely a turd, but you all need to get a life.

It would be nice if this went viral so that other people of the same mindset will think twice before cheating.

Also, Boston should not allow any marathon that doesn't at least have a mat at the half way point to be used as a qualifier.

With the huge influx of newbies, we're also getting a good number of hacks, cheaters, and phonies. They SHOULD be exposed.

Precious Roy wrote:

The other problem with his miraculous 3:11 is that it came when he was 46 and after only two years of racing. By comparison, I ran a 3:08 after two years of racing. I was running 5ks in the 19:30-20:00 range and 1/2 marathons in the 1:30 range. BUT I WAS 32 YEARS OLD. And I am built like a runner (5'8", 135 lb). I am now in my mid forties and can tell you with absolute certainty that a guy in his mid forties who is built like Rossi does not go from running 22 min 5ks and 3:45-4 hour marathons to running a 3:11 marathon. It just doesn't happen.

Yes, absolutely. He is a 3:30 marathoner at best. It wasn't enough to get him into Boston, and he wasn't willing to wait, so he had to cheat.

Precious Roy wrote:

The other problem with his miraculous 3:11 is that it came when he was 46 and after only two years of racing. By comparison, I ran a 3:08 after two years of racing. I was running 5ks in the 19:30-20:00 range and 1/2 marathons in the 1:30 range. BUT I WAS 32 YEARS OLD. And I am built like a runner (5'8", 135 lb). I am now in my mid forties and can tell you with absolute certainty that a guy in his mid forties who is built like Rossi does not go from running 22 min 5ks and 3:45-4 hour marathons to running a 3:11 marathon. It just doesn't happen.

Sure, he cheated. I know that. You know that. Runners know that. But, as has already started to show in responses from reporters. non-runners don't know and will not pick up this cause. Not with the current evidence obtained, anyway.

Precious Roy wrote:

The other problem with his miraculous 3:11 is that it came when he was 46 and after only two years of racing. By comparison, I ran a 3:08 after two years of racing. I was running 5ks in the 19:30-20:00 range and 1/2 marathons in the 1:30 range. BUT I WAS 32 YEARS OLD. And I am built like a runner (5'8", 135 lb). I am now in my mid forties and can tell you with absolute certainty that a guy in his mid forties who is built like Rossi does not go from running 22 min 5ks and 3:45-4 hour marathons to running a 3:11 marathon. It just doesn't happen.

People are different. For some it might take two years, for others it might take one. I went from a couch potato weighing 245 lbs in October, 2009 to running a 3:07, 3:06 and 3:05 in October November and December of 2010. Does it mean anyone can do it? No. But it is possible, I've done it at age 34. My first 5K in January, 2010 was a 24:04 and I weighed 197 lbs. A FB group dude just ran a 2:43 and he ran a total of 400 miles in 2015! He's 6'4" and weighs 130 lbs.

Like I said, we can't discredit his time simply on the basis of it being impossible. It is possible, just highly improbable.

Oh, and the 2:43 guy is a masters runner!

not really wrote:

GregTR wrote:

Actually 7:50/mile falls right in line with McMillan's recommended paces for a 3:11 marathoner. If he really held sub-8 for 18 miles, which he did by evidence of the Nike log then his training pace is indeed in line with a marathon in the 3:1X range.

However he still has to explain:

1) Why no tune-up races with matching performances?

2) Why accurate logs and tracks of your 6.5 mile training run and your 10 miler but no track of your marathon?

3) Where are your race photos?

Yes if it was a slow distance run, they would. Not if it was a race pace run, which I think it was. And which falls right into his 3:43 time in Philly. But I do agree with you, there is absolutely no proof he is capable of that pace based on other races.

I agree the training pace is indicative of a 3:xx race pace. He said he was injured and had over-trained in spring of 2014, so that may explain the lack of matching tune up race times. Can't explain the lack of photos. But I did see a couple people mentioned he had his head down at the finish. I saw a photo from his finish at the Philly marathon and he had his head down as well...almost exactly the same shot as LV.

I'm almost 40. Started running 3 years ago, lost 50 lbs, ran two marathons that year both 4:15. Buckled down over the winter, read Pfitz and worked on my nutrition, that spring I ran a 3:20 and the following fall 3:08 and 3:14. I have some of the same questions you guys do but I think some of you guys aren't as special as you think you are.

GregTR wrote:

Oh, and the 2:43 guy is a masters runner!

And I bet there are zero photos of him on the course when he did it - not likely.