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

rojo wrote:

Let me hear your ideas as to what you want me to do.

If it's to be a challenge for money then the money has to be for a kids charity of Frank's choice.

No way can Frank, being such a good guy, dodge on that one.

I would suggest offering to make and $XX,000 contribution to the charity of Dr. Meza's choice for any US age group record (5k-marathon), that he can achieve in the next 6 months. He just needs to provide advance notice and wear a GPS device.

I'd say the challenge should be a 10k. Make it 40 flat. All money will be donated to Loyola High School. Make them put pressure on Frank to do it! If he shows up to run, I'll gladly pay to watch....heck, maybe I can even get an autograph!!!

Yes Rojo, issue a Rossi-type challenge to Meza for a sub-20 5k, but offer to donate the cash incentive to the Aztlan Track Club if he succeeds (Which we know he's incapable of). Why would he turn out that down if he's both the runner and mentor he claims to be?

Golgi Body wrote:

rekrunnr wrote:

Rumours and statistics about photo counts and washroom breaks are not evidence. Stop smearing clean athletes!

What about a couple of series of photos of the guy lurking at the side of the course before suddenly jumping into an ongoing race? If your intellect is not up to analyzing impossible splits or unexplained absences, surely you can understand the guy goofing off at the side of the road before suddenly jumping in the race, right there in a convenient series of photographs?

Or will the evidence never be strong enough? Are you one of those odd people who continued to say Lance Armstrong was innocent even after he confessed?

Golgi will you quit responding to this guy. Don’t you know when you are being trolled?

Do it for the kids. wrote:

rojo wrote:

Let me hear your ideas as to what you want me to do.

If it's to be a challenge for money then the money has to be for a kids charity of Frank's choice.

No way can Frank, being such a good guy, dodge on that one.

Definitely a charity event, and with an incentive to show up... $10K to hit the time, $X to charity just show up and try.

PS. The challenge is kind of pointless. I'd bet big bucks Meza will cite some sort of health condition and never run a major race again.

To Be Advised. wrote:

Scott Dominguez wrote:

PLEASE let your LA Times readers know that Dr. Meza's literally thousands of runners who he has coached will stand up and support him.

Yep, they're standing up and coming out of the woodwork in their droves in support of Dr. Meza:

1. Scott Dominguez

2. To Be Advised.

3. To Be Advised.

4. To Be Advised.

5. To Be Advised.

6. To Be Advised.

7. To Be Advised.

8. To Be Advised.

9. To Be Advised.

Etc...

Others standing up and supporting Frank:

1. Lalo Diaz, Head Coach Loyola High School.

2. Phillip Bland, Assistant Coach Loyola High School.

3. To Be Advised.

4. To Be Advised.

5. To Be Advised.

6. To Be Advised.

7. To Be Advised.

8. To Be Advised.

9. To Be Advised.

Etc...

Fred Gwynne wrote:

Golgi will you quit responding to this guy. Don’t you know when you are being trolled?

+1000

Rojo, did you actually get back to Wharton and provide your analysis?

Wharton is a much better writer than the article suggests. It was written to create more publicity and thus clicks. Loyola High can’t be too happy their program is getting this kind of PR. Their admin was smart to scrub Meza from the Loyola site.

For those of you who don’t know, Loyola is a storied high school in Los Angeles with a well connected alumni base. They may not care for or fully understand Meza’s cheating but won’t stand around and watch their alma mater take PR hits.

Despite the fact that Frank can't meet any challenge at any distance you might throw at him (5k, 10, half, marathon, even 400 meters,) I don't think you should give him any challenge except for a marathon or a half marathon. The primary focus of his cheating has been at those two distances, though, let's face it, he'd fail at any distance, since he's faking so far above his actual ability. But I think offering a challenge at the shorter distances dilutes things. Also, in his position, he can just cite "I don't need the money" as a valid reason for refusing it, so I am guessing you'd have to offer it in the form of a charity donation.

I mentioned this early in the thread, leave the Brojo's alone, they're providing the platform to expose this cheater and apart from putting up dollars there's not much else they can do, especially when you see how well Marathon Investigation is covering it.

Oh yeah, if some out there are so keen for a money challenge then put up cash with a Go Fund Me.

First, I came in here to say that my computer that has no running related searches/LetsRun/etc. had the LA Times article pop up as a recommended read.

Second, wow the positive Meza spin attempts are very obvious.

Third, I feel sorry for the guy, BUT he did this to himself. He should have just come clean.

Fourth - just offer to follow Frank on a tempo run on the track for two or three miles. He could even just post a continuous video of himself, with proof that it is him. Publish it and publish his response. Don't offer money, just offer him the chance to clear his name. Again, get his response for publication. The guy should have just admitted his issues and moved on. Instead it's turning into a national story. I feel bad for the DA who has also been duped by Frank. I also want to believe Frank as badly as his impassioned response conveys (from my view).

Fifth - here comes rojo, jumping in to get some publicity out of it claiming he hasn't followed the thread (doubtful, but okay). That aside, I'm glad he has weighed in. Even though it's obvious to everybody that there are some descrepancies (to say the least) in Frank's performance, give the guy an honest chance at redemption, no strings attached. Just a tempo run or a good 5k race performance on a certified course - 20:21 min 5k (which is what an even split would be for just one 2:52:00 marathon). That would be a cake walk for any 2:52 marathoner. Whatever you choose, offer money or better yet, offer to post it as a front page (of LetsRun) story offering full redemption. I would love to see his excuses.

Sixth ... And I really hope this doesn't happen... I foresee Frank or someone offering some, "evidence" whether it be a self produced video or GPS evidence of his prowesss, and I foresee LRC tearing it apart.

I can sum up my feelings on the subject as:

I really want to believe Frank and his supporters (not just a runner but as someone who appreciates the social causes he appears to support), but I can't believe him in the face of the evidence I see presented by doubler/other posters.

rojo wrote:

PS. The challenge is kind of pointless. I'd bet big bucks Meza will cite some sort of health condition and never run a major race again.

and that's exactly what frank did this past weekend. his running days are being cut short b/c of a "heart condition." poor frankie.

principal kozakowski, what's going on w/ your school? whoever reached out to him b/f, should give him the update. this is becoming a sh!t show for them.

rojo wrote:

PS. The challenge is kind of pointless. I'd bet big bucks Meza will cite some sort of health condition and never run a major race again.

many posters have already said the same thing and you must have read as much...of course he won't run and will cite health issues because now he's under the watchful eye.

he doesn't run for fun and we all knew that the video of him standing on the side of the road is time that he couldn't afford to lose, even if he was trying to break 3:45:):):)

so you agree with the others, eh?

To the general public, a sub-20 5k or sub-40 10k may seem a bit arbitrary.

I would do this: offer $100k to his favorite charity if he can run a 10k in the same time (40:19) as his first 10k at the 2019 LAM. Should be easy enough for such a good runner (snark). It would be even better if you could get him to run it on the first 10k of the LAM course. That's probably a no-go due to logistics, but it would make for quite a spectacle.

What to do: Send Roderick Powell a free pair of shoes for starting this thread?

hit the nail on thead wrote:

rojo wrote:

PS. The challenge is kind of pointless. I'd bet big bucks Meza will cite some sort of health condition and never run a major race again.

and that's exactly what frank did this past weekend. his running days are being cut short b/c of a "heart condition." poor frankie.

principal kozakowski, what's going on w/ your school? whoever reached out to him b/f, should give him the update. this is becoming a sh!t show for them.

Next he'll ask LA to remove him from the results because the whole thing has become a 'distraction'. He'll never admit he cheated, but eventually the discussion will die off because his record breaking result was nullified and there will be no new information coming in.

Free Shoes wrote:

What to do: Send Roderick Powell a free pair of shoes for starting this thread?

Massive coincidence I am sure but this thread now appears in the list of general interest threads at the bottom of a page.