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

Unfortunately his name is on the Addidas marathon poster just a few rows above mine. I had to take a sharpie and black it out. He has his house plastered with them I'm told from a good source.

Has Athlinks Caught Another Cheat?

You may have seen the story about Mike Rossi, the Pennsylvania dad who received a letter from his kids’ school principal for unexcused absences. Rossi’s kids accompanied him to Boston while he ran the marathon. Rossi’s reply to the principal about the values instilled by the marathon went viral. He has subsequently made media appearances across the country.

Now Rossi has set the Internet ablaze for a different reason. Some people believe his Boston qualifying time – achieved at the Lehigh Valley Marathon last September – is suspect.

The 47-year-old Rossi ran a 3:11:45 at that race – a pace comparable to his best 5k time, according to Athlinks.com. Indeed there is nothing among his 20 recorded results that suggests he is capable of that fast a finish.

Whatever the case, the incident does illustrate the value of Athlinks. If you have run a race in the last 10 years that has posted results on the Internet, they are almost certain to appear there. Athlinks may not eliminate race cheating, but it leaves cheaters with only two options: cheat every single time, or cheat within your previous parameters.

No, my small brained friend. You have missed on every conceivable level.

Here is what I responded to (including my responce):

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Code Red wrote:

That assumes a burden of proof on the runner rather than on the race director. Is that the standard going to be imposed? I doubt it.

I am aware of no instance where a runner has been DQ based on no photos and suspicious time improvement.

Missed timing mats - sure

A history of cheating - sure

Failure to appear in video at a stationary point - sure

This will be a tough call for a race director or panel.

I would suspect a runner of EPO based on this kind of improvement. I find the runner's time highly suspect but is the standard going forward for all runners going to be no photos = DQ

Brace yourself for no DQ.

Not defending the guy he seems eminently unlikeable and suspect. I'm just saying the standard is unlikely to be that if you are not in photos you are DQ.

This is an easy defense in any court just have a camera exper come in and talk about deleted photos missed shots etc. Hopefully the panel will have some additional evidence that is not bandied about on LR.

This Man wrote:

This ^ is an eminently sensible post.

"We DQ you because you ran too fast!"

"WTF?"

"Well, we also do not have any pics of you running."

Even though the guy is both guilty and a d-bag, a DQ does not seem guaranteed to me. Not by a long shot.

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Note that everybody basically knows that he cheated. This is not even a question in play really. As such, your "the probability he cheated is ridiculously high." is rather moronic (to put it politely).

And your "Arguing the probability of a DQ is semantics at this point" is exactly the opposite. Perhaps you do not understand the definition of semantics. That would explain why you referred to "fancy lingo". Which basically makes you, what was that phrase again? Oh yeah, "Dummy dumbs gonna dummy dumb!"

Now please, you have made it quite evident that you can neither think clearly nor understand plain English. Try getting an education prior to spewing forth more drivel.

The statistical analysis has been done mannnnnnnny pages back.

Lorimer park knows wrote:

Unfortunately his name is on the Addidas marathon poster just a few rows above mine. I had to take a sharpie and black it out. He has his house plastered with them I'm told from a good source.

If you consider that unfortunate, imagine how poor Mike feels. He had to take a sharpie and black out 26,609 other names on his poster.

routemaker wrote:

The statistical analysis has been done mannnnnnnny pages back.

Didn't know that folks did what I was suggesting.

I know that I have seen something about analyzing his race performances and how many standard deviations this "3:11" was off of an expected value.

I also know that folks found pics of everyone else. But the analysis that I suggested I must have missed.

My bad if it was already done.

I M Lazy wrote:

routemaker wrote:

The statistical analysis has been done mannnnnnnny pages back.

Didn't know that folks did what I was suggesting.

I know that I have seen something about analyzing his race performances and how many standard deviations this "3:11" was off of an expected value.

I also know that folks found pics of everyone else. But the analysis that I suggested I must have missed.

My bad if it was already done.

Look at the "Statistical analysis" tab on the spreadsheet Rojo started (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o6QNphLQ7ZV_sPSCyaFV4Tm1rmOlol_AO5cxF3Lam-Q). Doesn't include every runner in the race, but 100 runners - the 50 preceding Rossi's finish time and 50 after his finish time. None of them have less than 3, and the probability of Rossi having 0 photos is... well, 0.

Tough Being on Top wrote:

Lorimer park knows wrote:

Unfortunately his name is on the Addidas marathon poster just a few rows above mine. I had to take a sharpie and black it out. He has his house plastered with them I'm told from a good source.

If you consider that unfortunate, imagine how poor Mike feels. He had to take a sharpie and black out 26,609 other names on his poster.

This is one of the best posts in the entire thread. Well done.

Heaps of BS in the last 2 pages about evidence, DQ worthiness, lawyering up. Chaps, do not forget this is a road race. there is no CSI investigation. A DQ can and hopefully will happen with all we have got so far.

Do you think Mike Rossi is running? Like, as in today, do you think he has the audacity to go out and do a run outside? I know he mentioned some injury, but that is probably fake. So, assuming he is ok to run, do you think he is running? I think he is not. The chances he would be identified by a fellow runner are too damn big at this point.

Another way to look at it: we killed the sport for him. He will be running in TMs for a long time. I am happy with that as punishment.

Something substantive to add wrote:

I M Lazy wrote:

Didn't know that folks did what I was suggesting.

I know that I have seen something about analyzing his race performances and how many standard deviations this "3:11" was off of an expected value.

I also know that folks found pics of everyone else. But the analysis that I suggested I must have missed.

My bad if it was already done.

Look at the "Statistical analysis" tab on the spreadsheet Rojo started (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o6QNphLQ7ZV_sPSCyaFV4Tm1rmOlol_AO5cxF3Lam-Q). Doesn't include every runner in the race, but 100 runners - the 50 preceding Rossi's finish time and 50 after his finish time. None of them have less than 3, and the probability of Rossi having 0 photos is... well, 0.

I see. Thanks for the pointer. Yes, you folks did do what I had in mind.

Well done.

And sorry to have wasted your time.

I used to see him out on runs occasionally. If I do I will certainly get a picture of us together and post it on this thread. I will make sure he believes I am a fan of "The Letter."

The only way the photographic evidence would support a DQ is if there were uninterrupted time stamps on the photos. That is highly unlikely. 100s of runners have finished marathons without getting any photos other than at the finish. Rossi would be able to gather support just based on that and the RD would have to cave or face a civil suit most likely in small claims court.

Rossi will be DQ'd based on witness statements. Interviewing witnesses is going to take time. Runners with similar paces leap frog during marathons specifically at the aid stations and toward the end of the race. After 3 hours everyone knows everyone else around them. There is at least one person who can state whether or not Rossi was on the course. That's the runner who started and finished within 4 seconds of Rossi and he is the key to getting the DQ.

His next conquest: tri's.

#NoSleepTilIroman

Arguing the probability of a DQ is absolutely semantics because it is 100% out of anybodies control besides the race director. No matter how you try to interpret what is or isn't proof of cheating, it is up to the race directors discretion to DQ.

Keep going though, you're doing really well!

Lorimer park knows wrote:

I used to see him out on runs occasionally. If I do I will certainly get a picture of us together and post it on this thread. I will make sure he believes I am a fan of "The Letter."

Except that he's reading the thread and you tipped yourself off.

Like when Mrs. Litton accepted my friend request on FB, and when I mentioned it here, I was unfriended shortly thereafter.

Lorimer park knows wrote:

So tell me Code Red , why would a race director put together a panel to review over 19,000 photos? To prove the lack of evidence that YOU actually ran the race and do nothing with it?? With four months until race day I'm sure they have better things to do. This proves to me that they are taking the photographic evidence seriously and that mike (you) will be DQ'd

For the last time:

1. I think he is not in the photos for the exact reason most of us think: because he was not there to be photographed;

2. If they go through all the photos great, if they DQ great, I just said I would not want to be the race director tasked with that, if I was the RD based on what I have seen and not seen on LR I would just DQ and move on

3. You seem to think that some panel of Olympic runners, timers, and coaches has been convened and is hunkered down poring over all this like the Cardinals in enclave voting a new Pope, I doubt it. I think they just want a panel to say hey we took this seriously, and here is what we considered, and here is our decision so it is not arbitrary or capricious.

4. I wonder if we will ever hear about the process or decision

carry on

Nobody is going to remember who they did or didn't run with in a marathon last September.

Unless it was a young woman in booty shorts you ran behind for 26.2 miles.

P.S. There isn't going to be a civil suit. If Mikey is DQed, he will claim he was innocent until the day he dies, but he isn't going to actually do anything about it.

Yes please.

putnam wrote:

I just hope he gets DQd in time for the BAA to exclude him from the results in the results book they mail and not send him a finisher's certificate.

Think I might print a small "Rosie Rossi" label to put over his name.

Lorimer park knows wrote:

Unfortunately his name is on the Addidas marathon poster just a few rows above mine. I had to take a sharpie and black it out. He has his house plastered with them I'm told from a good source.