Robert Young fakes run across America

Markus wrote:

1 2 3 green wrote:

The reports from Laz about RY and his team being fairly incompetent really help to complete the picture for me.

It paints the image of an inexperienced ultra runner whose only intention was to increase his celebrity.

The inexperience is highlighted by the safety issues and the horrendous pacing. They just don't know any better and also likely didn't know that strings of 6:00 miles would raise eyebrows.

The whole thing was for publicity. Interviews, blogs, and social media took precedence over logistical details, data collection, and actually completing the task.

They never dreamed people would do anything other than take their word for it. In their minds the RV tracker was more of a cool toy for the fans rather than proof.

For that reason, I don't think all of the GPS data for the first half of the run exists. I'm sure they have some, but there is no way they have a continuous record of his runs, even from the GPS watch sitting on the dash of the RV. It never crossed their mind someone would ask for it.

Well said.

Robert and his crew forgot that you can fact check stuff now within minutes. If he would done his run in 1981, he would have been in the newspaper with a new Guinness book record.

1 2 3 green wrote:

We know and Ulisters know that the run was so unlikely that it leaves little doubt he cheated, but the average Rob fan isn't convinced.

GPS data is not coming or doesn't exist. Time to start thinking about how to convince the Rob fans with the evidence we already have. Presentation of evidence easily digested by the general population will be key.

If a clear and well written article by LRC is picked up by other sources it will help. (Well written is asking a lot though.)

I think a map w/ notes of the mojave incident would be good. People skim over blocks of text and don't want to read close enough to truly get a sense of what happened.

I dropped the data from our csv into a scatter plot of pace over time. It tells the story well of how the number of sub 5:30-6:30 miles started out scarce in the initial days, increased steadily through the desert and over the mountains, reaching a peak in Kansas the first week in June, then completely disappeared as soon as he was called out. Hopefully when i get time I will format it and post it.

TroLLminator wrote:

1 2 3 green wrote:

We know and Ulisters know that the run was so unlikely that it leaves little doubt he cheated, but the average Rob fan isn't convinced.

GPS data is not coming or doesn't exist. Time to start thinking about how to convince the Rob fans with the evidence we already have. Presentation of evidence easily digested by the general population will be key.

If a clear and well written article by LRC is picked up by other sources it will help. (Well written is asking a lot though.)

I think a map w/ notes of the mojave incident would be good. People skim over blocks of text and don't want to read close enough to truly get a sense of what happened.

I dropped the data from our csv into a scatter plot of pace over time. It tells the story well of how the number of sub 5:30-6:30 miles started out scarce in the initial days, increased steadily through the desert and over the mountains, reaching a peak in Kansas the first week in June, then completely disappeared as soon as he was called out. Hopefully when i get time I will format it and post it.

You've obviously never argued with a religious fanatic have you? No matter what gets exposed and how facts are presented, those FB loonies will never be convinced. If Rob drops out they will certainly say it was because of emotional stress. Only if the god Rob himself comes clean will these folks finally get it.

QualityPost wrote:

Tracker and GPS data are cans of worms. Here's another. Although the

letsrun conversation is 98% noise, the remaining 2% is worth noting.

There is a day that Rob's RV got stuck in the desert. The location is

known. There is a photo circulating of him next to the stuck RV. The exif

data from that photo gives a timestamp of A.

Later, as part of the blog, there are photos of a freshly showered (and

rested? well, rested looking) Rob enjoying the life of the destination

they've reached. The exif data from that gives a timestamp of B.

The distance between the stuck RV's location and that town is 40+ miles by

road or 23ish miles over a small set of mountains w/o roads nor marked

trails.

Whether he legged out the 40+ road miles or somehow orienteered his way

through the brush for 23ish miles without navigational aids, the time

between A and B is incredible. And I mean that in a literal sense.

While exif data can be manipulated too, it would make no sense to adjust

timestamps in a way that would make the distance traveled pretty much

impossible by foot.

Andy, I know you are standing up for your friend. And letsrun is a lot of

noise. But the person who put the above info together actually did some

important legwork. Without 'hating'. I commend you for leaving that

conversation alone and standing up for Rob, but it is discrepancies such as

this which are puzzling.

When I look at photos of Rob since Laz joined, I see a guy who is really

working hard. Thumbs up. At the same time, I wonder why he did not look

quite like this in photos posted during the earlier parts all the way to

Missouri. I'm not making an accusation, and I'm not a hater. I'm making an

honest observation.

Last thing. I've been around US running message boards for 16 years now.

Dynamics and sociology are interesting. letsrun ESPECIALLY so. Andy,

you've announced (maybe twice?) in the letsrun conversation that you are

leaving and dramatically told them why. This is your right, but or better

or worse, this is known as "flouncing". When you return, as you have, it

just marks you for more of that special "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids"

banter that they are so well known for. I'm not saying you should/shouldn't

post there... that is your decision... but if you decide to leave, my

advice is to do it quietly. Flouncing does not serve the purpose you think

it does beyond the possible catharsis of writing tell-off words.

Good luck.

I really wanted to believe in Rob. I do not currently.

1 2 3 green wrote:

We know and Ulisters know that the run was so unlikely that it leaves little doubt he cheated, but the average Rob fan isn't convinced.

GPS data is not coming or doesn't exist. Time to start thinking about how to convince the Rob fans with the evidence we already have. Presentation of evidence easily digested by the general population will be key.

If a clear and well written article by LRC is picked up by other sources it will help. (Well written is asking a lot though.)

I think a map w/ notes of the mojave incident would be good. People skim over blocks of text and don't want to read close enough to truly get a sense of what happened.

I dropped the data from our csv into a scatter plot of pace over time. It tells the story well of how the number of sub 5:30-6:30 miles started out scarce in the initial days, increased steadily through the desert and over the mountains, reaching a peak in Kansas the first week in June, then completely disappeared as soon as he was called out. Hopefully when i get time I will format it and post it.