Frank Meza 2:53:10 at LA Marathon (70 years old) unofficial time (just finished)

bill the pillow wrote:

Some one posted this in the MI comments on FB.

https://imgur.com/a/vfow0pk

The person on FB noted that he runs all the way to the side of course and seems to pause briefly (per still posted)... hard to make much out but interesting.

https://ktla.com/2018/03/18/live-video-watch-final-leg-of-l-a-marathon-on-finish-line-cam/

In the video you can watch him run, for me it's from 1:26:05 LEFT in the video through about 1:23:00 when he's up to the camera.

Thanks for explaining how to find FM on the course in that video. I couldn't find him when I tried before.

Note #1: For an age-group record-breaking marathoner, FM sucks at running tangents. Does it make sense to swing wide on the final straightaway of a marathon, so wide that course marshals have to step out of your way? No, it does not.

Note #2. According to the LAM 2018 results, FM hit the 40K/24.86 mile timing mat at 2:46:52, and he has to get to the finish line by 2:56:43 (clock time; are the splits clock or net time? I don't know, but we'll assume clock time to give FM the best possible chance for now). This is a major problem for FM, because that means he has to cover 1.34 miles at a pace of 7:21/mile - which age-grades to 70%. Is FM capable of running 1.34 miles at an AG% of 70%? (If the timing mats are net time, that means he has to run 6:58/mile, an AG% of 74%.) If you don't think so, that means he has to

1) Get the timing chip across the 40K mat;

2) Pick up the timing chip before the finish; and

3) Get on the final straightaway camera.

On the final straightaway, he's on camera for 3 minutes (with runners passing him the whole time). There's no time for him to run across the 40K mat himself, hop on a bike/in a car, and then park, hop back onto the course, and hit the final straightaway and finish line mat. He's only got around 10 minutes to work with total, and if he loses ~4 to actual running, he's cooked. That's only 6 minutes to find a bike/car, drive, park, and get back on course just a mile down the road.

So why is Frank veering wide on the final straightaway at 43:41/-1:25:45?

He's not discarding an item of clothing. He's retrieving his timing chip from an accomplice.

Cool it dude. wrote:

What is the point of you repeating yourself over and over again?

...I guess you are right....it is almost the same as repeating numerous speculations about how he did it , without any visual evidence

Carry on :-)

I Am Sam wrote:

Carry on :-)

Thanks.

You gotta admit, there's been some wild and entertaining theories haha, and they have brought up a bit of new evidence.

maybe this wrote:

He's not discarding an item of clothing. He's retrieving his timing chip from an accomplice.

If your theory is correct he's probably doing both, he can clearly be seen disrobing the black long sleeve T that he had on under his track suit walking up to the start, my guess is he'd been handing it off and getting it handed back at various times along the course to cover his AZTLAN top and bib. Also, other confirmation that he had "helpers" there is he needed someone to hand off his tracksuit too.

But then again, I'm speculating lol.

maybe this wrote:

He's not discarding an item of clothing. He's retrieving his timing chip from an accomplice.

nah sorry mate cant agree you need to watch the video again

when he comes in to pic hes clearly taking off his t puts his sunnies back on throws the t to his helper clearly no exchange of chip then puts his hat on and continurs on his shuffling way lol

rest maybe right

Thanks man. wrote:

I Am Sam wrote:

Carry on :-)

Thanks.

You gotta admit, there's been some wild and entertaining theories haha, and they have brought up a bit of new evidence.

Yep, I am joining in the fun now and going with the "he used a drone" theory...remember I put it out there first. :-)

No, he's clearly throwing away a shirt or something. He likely was taking it off just before he came into view. You can seem him adjusting things, putting his hat on, etc.

It isn't the first time this has been raised but so many people forget (or don't know) about Occam's Razor, in the absence of facts (about how he travelled between the mats), the more elaborate your explanations, the more likely they are to be wrong.

Another thing that is wrong is to somehow link the overwhelming evidence there is about not running the course legitimately to the logistics of getting between the mats.

Another thing that is wrong is to assert that "if I can't think of how to do it (implying they are some kind of genius), then it is not possible" - bizarrely with the VIA point to point course with no intermediate mats someone early on came out with the statement that it was "virtually impossible to cheat" - because they could not conceive of stepping off the course in the first 400 metres, driving to the finish, waiting around then rejoining the race in the last 400 metres. Equally oddly people came up with all sorts of completely unnecessary accomplice theories there too.

I Am Sam wrote:

Thanks man. wrote:

Thanks.

You gotta admit, there's been some wild and entertaining theories haha, and they have brought up a bit of new evidence.

Yep, I am joining in the fun now and going with the "he used a drone" theory...remember I put it out there first. :-)

lol no, that's been bought up heaps of times.

ExpertKipWatcher wrote:

Mate, go and have an aspirin and a lay down, and honestly, in the scheme of things it really won't matter or seem as bad when you get up.

Welcome to the World Wide Web. wrote:

Mate, go and have an aspirin and a lay down, and honestly, in the scheme of things it really won't matter or seem as bad when you get up.

I'm fine thanks, there seems to be an odd dichotomy that people can post utter crap and that is OK but people who in a measured way point out that something is fantasy are somehow taking things too seriously.

maybe not wrote:

maybe this wrote:

He's not discarding an item of clothing. He's retrieving his timing chip from an accomplice.

nah sorry mate cant agree you need to watch the video again

when he comes in to pic hes clearly taking off his t puts his sunnies back on throws the t to his helper clearly no exchange of chip then puts his hat on and continurs on his shuffling way lol

rest maybe right

Bib in hat?

Does Frank have a twin? Has he cloned himself in the lab? Does his wife dress as him and run segments on his behalf? Puzzling.

He just needed to take the hat off so he could take off the long-sleeved shirt over his head. He's been hiding his bib underneath his singlet.

As I mentioned earlier, I love puzzles. Figuring out IF he did it has been resolved, but figuring out how he did it is fascinating to me.

Maybe I'm giving FM too much credit because he's a triathlete, but my M70 training partner averaged 15.5 over Tennessee hills in a recent triathlon and he'd be the first to tell you he's not great. I'm 71 and not a triathlete, but I can average 15mph with only a moderate effort, especially for only 3-4 miles.

However, others have mentioned that other courses are not as bike-friendly as LA so perhaps it's an accomplice with a car.

fisky wrote:

Maybe I'm giving FM too much credit because he's a triathlete, but my M70 training partner averaged 15.5 over Tennessee hills in a recent triathlon and he'd be the first to tell you he's not great.

Oops, my training partner averaged 16.5mph, not 15.5, over the 16-ish mile hilly course.

fisky wrote:

As I mentioned earlier, I love puzzles. Figuring out IF he did it has been resolved, but figuring out how he did it is fascinating to me.

Maybe I'm giving FM too much credit because he's a triathlete, but my M70 training partner averaged 15.5 over Tennessee hills in a recent triathlon and he'd be the first to tell you he's not great. I'm 71 and not a triathlete, but I can average 15mph with only a moderate effort, especially for only 3-4 miles.

However, others have mentioned that other courses are not as bike-friendly as LA so perhaps it's an accomplice with a car.

It's really not much effort with an ebike...

They've been out for awhile now. It's often the bicycle of choice for professionals (very popular among medical professionals) that try to bicycle to work everyday. If it's a particularly windy or nasty weather day, or you're running a bite late, just turn the motor on, and you're off with little effort. Ebikes are reliable, durable, and versatile bicycles.

I've witnessed spectators at triathlons and marathons used this type of bike to get from section to section. It's so much easier that hopping in and out of a vehicle because you really don't have to worry about traffic jams or parking.

Sorry, ^ that's not intended to read like an infomercial. It's just that it would've take a world class physical duathlon performance to pull this thing off, nor would one look out of place doing so.

Think about it, rojo calls LA a B-List marathon. What would help it regain it's reputation more than a world record. With the help of the race organizers, Frank could easily have been shuttled from 5K mat to 5K mat.

LA is gearing up for an Olympic bid, a B-List marathon doesn't bode well for an Olympic bid. Maybe the Mayor's office was in on it as well. That brings in the LAPD as potential accomplices as well.

And let's not forget the Azlatan angle, it boosts their reputation having a world record holder in their ranks. Perhaps they could have enlisted the help of the Sorenos to aid Frank around the course.

Frank won't get DQ'd, if he starts talking a lot of big names will be implicated.

I think it was a combination of bikes, cars, and secret tunnels, we'll never know the full extent.