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

InsertNameHere wrote:

That tells me it's the same section of course, and he ran it twice. Once for his results that you can find per his finish, and once to double-back for whatever reason to run with that group (and apparently, give his bib to her so she could finish).

I admit that is bizarre. Meza is seen on the course with runners with similar finishing times. Race video shows him finishing at 1:27+ gun time. His splits are reasonable.

He must have doubled back afterwards to run with someone he knows. I can understand taking off the bib, but cannot even the slightest benefit for her to be wearing his bib.

Looking forward to his next Fall marathon when 20 Letsrunners can run (or drive or bike) the whole way with him to settle this once and for all.

I’ll tell you straight up.

He is the single greatest race cheat/fixer active in the US right now.

Let me know his next race LRC crowd, and I will fly out and run directly behind him and expose this cheat.

Right, he’s as dirty as they come. After organizing 5 transcons, I don’t need any stupid theories about how he “could” have done it legitimately.

In Ohio lives a man named Derek Murphy. He is a well-known "race detective". Maybe he should take that in hand.

If you want to have a good laugh, go to Google for "Der professionellste Lauf-Betrüger der Welt" and read an article from the year 2012 on "greif.de" by Peter Greif about a man from Iran (Peter Greif is a well-known marathon trainer in Germany). The article is in german language. Copy & Paste at Google Translate.

Its egun wrote:

I’ll tell you straight up.

He is the single greatest race cheat/fixer active in the US right now.

Let me know his next race LRC crowd, and I will fly out and run directly behind him and expose this cheat.

If you are correct (and I don’t have proof one way or the other), he probably would be the greatest cheater in the history of running. In his 60’s & 70’s:

- 27 marathons under 3:10

- 12 marathons under 3:00

- 3 half marathons under 1:30

- A fast 10k

- Very fast 5+ miler as part of a relay (apparently)

- Reasonably fast runs on triathlon

Mark’s Thoughts2 wrote:

Its egun wrote:

I’ll tell you straight up.

He is the single greatest race cheat/fixer active in the US right now.

Let me know his next race LRC crowd, and I will fly out and run directly behind him and expose this cheat.

If you are correct (and I don’t have proof one way or the other), he probably would be the greatest cheater in the history of running. In his 60’s & 70’s:

- 27 marathons under 3:10

- 12 marathons under 3:00

- 3 half marathons under 1:30

- A fast 10k

- Very fast 5+ miler as part of a relay (apparently)

- Reasonably fast runs on triathlon

Looking at the pics from the Pasadena half marathon, the photo 'evidence' suggests that Frank would not be capable of running below 19 or even 20 mins. in a straight 5k race, much less in a thon!

The photos show a senior guy (F.M. ) shuffling along at a slowish pace, certainly much slower than the 6 mins mile splits he was reported to have run during two different 5km segments of the race.

Still waiting for the final words on this sad affair.

Ghost in China

You’re a better detective than I if you can see movement (shuffling) in photos. The photos also show him running with ~1:27 runners on the course and finishing around that time. So, if he cheated, he had to have cut the course between those two points. I wish someone would catch him if that’s the case.

Mark’s Thoughts2 wrote:

You’re a better detective than I if you can see movement (shuffling) in photos. The photos also show him running with ~1:27 runners on the course and finishing around that time. So, if he cheated, he had to have cut the course between those two points. I wish someone would catch him if that’s the case.

Replying to my own post. As someone said earlier, he did finish around 2 minutes behind the faster group of people he was photographed with on course. I guess this means if he cheated, he could have cut the course before those photos and coasted in at his normal (slow) pace. But he would have to have been very talented with his course cutting as the timing mats show a fairly even pace throughout.

Mark’s Thoughts2 wrote:

Mark’s Thoughts2 wrote:

You’re a better detective than I if you can see movement (shuffling) in photos. The photos also show him running with ~1:27 runners on the course and finishing around that time. So, if he cheated, he had to have cut the course between those two points. I wish someone would catch him if that’s the case.

Replying to my own post. As someone said earlier, he did finish around 2 minutes behind the faster group of people he was photographed with on course. I guess this means if he cheated, he could have cut the course before those photos and coasted in at his normal (slow) pace. But he would have to have been very talented with his course cutting as the timing mats show a fairly even pace throughout.

The loss of two minutes from other runners in the last mile or so is the evidence in the Pasadena race (along with no photos from early in the race).

The crazy splits from the over the years, the lack of photos when compared to other runners, and the weird finish line video are the evidence from LA Marathons.

His DQ from CIM several years ago and the fact that his Marathon best is age graded to about a 2:13 raise serious doubts that this guy is for real.

Why do you not find it suspect that Frank ran 5k splits of 6:45 pace/6:25 pace/6:48 pace and 6:20 pace app. I find that very unlikely. (considering you are running a half-marathon at your "marathon" pace) unless this is just a slow/fast/slow/fast workout for you....At the end of races we keep our bib. So to cheat we are obviously not passing our bib to someone else. How could you get away with that over and over. We would just need the "chip". Passing that to someone would have to be the way. Of course passing it to the "bib wearer" at the end would have to happen. He could pocket it. This is my best guess on how cheating could happen. Also, if you have been following this thread, you know that Frank passed his bib to a woman at the end of the Pasadena half-marathon. She completed the race with this on. No computer recognition of the chip. I think she may be related to Frank. Maybe Natalie Meza. Not sure but it would make sense by her finishing time. If so, the yellow cap guy in the photo with Frank and her might be Marco Franco. These are guesses. (swag's)

FYI, this would confirm that these 2 are NOT bandits.

Cancel Natalie and Marco...not them, I just looked up the bibs. My bad guess. But I will keep trying to figure it ou. Just not now. Unlike most on this thread, I am off for a Saturday long run..

Maybe someone has more time than me. Find 3 people who finished around the same time. Around 1:50 to say 1:54 with no photos. This would mean they did not bandit this race, just did not have visible bibs. AND we might figure out who Frank Meza passed his bib to. Easy.

Roderick Powell wrote:

Maybe someone has more time than me.

Where's Scamwatcheroo when you need him?

Mark’s Thoughts2 wrote:

But he would have to have been very talented with his course cutting as the timing mats show a fairly even pace throughout.

I'm not passing judgement, but this course would be very easy to cut the course. Look at the course map and the mats are every 5k. Cut and wait. It'd be a piece of cake. And yes, I also think the pace looks like shuffling even at the end of the race.

guy with N opnion wrote:

Mark’s Thoughts2 wrote:

But he would have to have been very talented with his course cutting as the timing mats show a fairly even pace throughout.

I'm not passing judgement, but this course would be very easy to cut the course. Look at the course map and the mats are every 5k. Cut and wait. It'd be a piece of cake. And yes, I also think the pace looks like shuffling even at the end of the race.

How would he cut the course to get from 10k to 15k in 21:08? It’s pretty much a straight shot.

Cutting from 5k to 10k and 15k to finish is doable, but seems pretty obvious in front of other runners, especially cutting right across the golf course.

Maybe I don’t have the imagination for how a person would do it.

Champion for diversity

He's certainly that , diversifying 3 Ways

Mark’s Thoughts2 wrote:

guy with N opnion wrote:

I'm not passing judgement, but this course would be very easy to cut the course. Look at the course map and the mats are every 5k. Cut and wait. It'd be a piece of cake. And yes, I also think the pace looks like shuffling even at the end of the race.

How would he cut the course to get from 10k to 15k in 21:08? It’s pretty much a straight shot.

Cutting from 5k to 10k and 15k to finish is doable, but seems pretty obvious in front of other runners, especially cutting right across the golf course.

Maybe I don’t have the imagination for how a person would do it.

It would be difficult to do alone. Probably impossible. But what if you had a crew of three?

Gene Dykes is running a live race right now. (24 hour run) He has 70 miles in. http://bigpush.org/d3/?fbclid=IwAR2f9idYVCAth_fLwbvuizWu6lXuE0dGp5AYKXNcLZAPHyC5GB0VHJZhQhE