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

Well, next year they're going to put video cameras and more timing mats down, but I'm not sure what good that will do. He'll just say, "I don't know why I'm missing from the videos and have no split times -- prove I didn't run the race!!"

Well, since you can cheat at the Via marathon and get away with it, I’m signing up for it, but not running it, so I can do Boston, which is my real goal.  Would anybody here like to carry my chip with you as you run to a BQ?  I’ll pay you $100.  I promise not to shoot my mouth off to my kids’ teachers, so nobody will know.  Thanks!

Seriously, this puts Mike in a class with OJ Simpson and Casey Anthony. Scumbags all.

MaybeTheWantCheaters wrote:

This is a long thread so this may have been discussed, but have we considered that Lehigh Valley not care about cheating, or worse, want it? Their whole selling point is how easy it is to qualify for Boston there, mentioning that they have the fouth highest qualifying percentage. It could very well be that they know people use the race to cheat their way into Boston, turning a blind eye allows them to use the high percentage as a marketing tool.

Good point. I do suspect this had a lot to do with the decision. The problem for LVM is that now, because of Rossi, it has stated publicly that it will have timing mats. I imagine it will be taking video somewhere or other along the course as well. These are things it could have done before if it was more interested in the integrity of the race and less interested in marketing the race as an easy way to BQ.

If LVM follows through with the mats, it will be interesting to see if it maintains its coveted spot as the marathon with the 4th highest percentage of BQs. My guess is that we'll see that percentage drop.

It will be equally interesting to follow the future running career of Rossi, such as it is. I wouldn't be surprised if he never runs another marathon, unless he finds another race with no timing mats on the course or an ever-present gale-force tailwind. Or, if Rossi runs a marathon in the future, like Chicago, he will have a "documented" injury, but he'll push through a 4 hour time just so his kids can have the "experience" of seeing their father jog a marathon. What a guy! It brings a tear to my eye, it really does.

Bottom line: very disappointed in LVM, wouldn't ever consider running it.

I'd rather never run another marathon than LVM. They have sold out, frightened to do the right thing. Please consider running any race other than this one. They are not worthy of any *runner*, Cheaters, this is your golden ticket.

Time(s) will tell wrote:

[quote]MaybeTheWantCheaters wrote:

...

Bottom line: very disappointed in LVM, wouldn't ever consider running it.

Pathetic. When they announced they were going to make a decision later in the month I had a feeling it meant they were waiting for the dust to settle so no one care when they announced no DQ. The RD simply has no backbone. I would stand up for the integrity of my event. The RD has plenty of room to dish out the DQ, the evidence doesn't even need to be as nearly "conclusive" as it is right already. Ironically, the proof we have that he wasn't on the course is the most conclusive evidence you can ever have.

But as all those FBers pointed out, who cares just let it be right? Leave the guy alone, you'll hurt his feelings and it's just not fair huh.. Have a heart people!

I'm so done with the pathetic leadership and lack of pride in this sport

Spot on.

NoProofNoProblem wrote:

Pathetic. When they announced they were going to make a decision later in the month I had a feeling it meant they were waiting for the dust to settle so no one care when they announced no DQ. The RD simply has no backbone. I would stand up for the integrity of my event. The RD has plenty of room to dish out the DQ, the evidence doesn't even need to be as nearly "conclusive" as it is right already. Ironically, the proof we have that he wasn't on the course is the most conclusive evidence you can ever have.

But as all those FBers pointed out, who cares just let it be right? Leave the guy alone, you'll hurt his feelings and it's just not fair huh.. Have a heart people!

I'm so done with the pathetic leadership and lack of pride in this sport

If LVM follows through with the mats, it will be interesting to see if it maintains its coveted spot as the marathon with the 4th highest percentage of BQs. My guess is that we'll see that percentage drop.

No, you don't get it. The percentage will not drop. Just do the same alleged thing.

Next year, you could cross the start, go to your car, drive beyond the last photographer, rejoin the race and finish in a BQ time.

When they question you, you tell them "oh, my chip must have malfunctioned", or perhaps "I didn't know I was supposed to cross those mats during the course. I didn't want to trip on them".

When asked about no photos, you say this is no proof and I can't believe you are questioning my integrity, perhaps you'd like to speak to my lawyer Jackie Chiles?

Once you are lawyered up, RD will not DQ you for missing mats.If they don't have the gumption to DQ someone based on no photos this year, the timing mats will make NO difference. Why would they?

People have escaped being "DQ'd" by using the "my chip malfunctioned" excuse for years. The only way a modern RD might DQ you is if there were irregular splits. Missing splits? Not going to happen. Those extra mats solve nothing.

So do you think he ever tapped Kelly Ripa when they were hosting that disco dance show 30 years ago?

How bout Kathy Lee Gifford? He's much more of manly man than that Octogenerian Frank Gifford, or Regis for that matter.

Idiot is the only succinct and to the point word, as opposed to your long winded diatribe above, for someone who says "Your credibility just got tossed out the window !!!" when referring to someone on an anonymous message board.

Also, it's very difficult to take someone seriously on a running MB who's commenting on a marathon and spells "coarse" rather than 'course', so not sure how you came up with the "intelligently presented" bit. I could go on but I won't, no need, you've confirmed you're an idiot.

I would like to hear from Bart Yasso.

Well, what a gutless decision by LVM. Truly disappointing.

So in order to DQ somebody they need pm photographic proof that he left the course, which is impossible since they don't put cameras anywhere but in the course....OR.... They need another runner to report suspicious behavior on the course, which is impossible because he got in his car and drove away.

This is an awesome way to keep runners honest. What good are the photographers if it's not to make sure anybody cheats?

This marathon is a joke.

I think this year we should all register, pay one runner to carry out chip for use, and the rest of us can go to the diner for breakfast. We hook up with him at the 25 mile mark and we all BQ. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

As long as nobody writes a letter to the school principal and goes in the Today show nobody will even bother to check.

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Ha!

Looks like the VIA Marathon will have some more Facebook posts to promptly delete tomorrow morning.

I would have lost interest in Mike Rossi had he been disqualified from Lehigh Valley and Boston. However, in view of the race director's pathetic decision, I will just have to do my part to keep this thread on the first page of the forum indefinitely. How many posts does the Kip Litton thread have? I'll bet that the Mike Rossi thread will surpass it.

The VIA Lehigh Valley Marathon has proven itself to be as unscrupulous as Mike Rossi himself.

Well his time is official and verified now.

Hurrah for him. He earned it deserved it and gets to keep his glory.

Time for most of you posters to eat crow and finally stop whining and complaining.

Get out and go for a run.

Bet he goes sub 3 next year healthy at VIA and sticks it to all of you.

OK,

I'm not in to social media, so I started out with e-mail below. I'm following up with one to Boston after this post. I encourage everyone here to contact both the Lehigh and Boston race directors with a similar message. If you don't get a response, follow up with a letter (much more impact). We may have lost the battle, but there is still the war! To quote my favorite post of the day, "For the integrity the sport." One more thing, Let's Keep it Up!

RaceDirector@ViaMarathon.org

Dear race director,

I have been following the course of this story and am saddened to hear of it's outcome. The known evidence that this runner did not run the time you posted for him is stronger than that which results in the conviction of many felons in this country. The excuse that there was no challenge on the race day is pitiable in comparison.

My next letter is going to be to Boston's race director to request that they take steps to protect runners who train hard to earn their spot in Boston only to be displaced by cheaters. The oldest race in the US deserves an entry criteria that demands as much from the races that are used as qualifiers, including criteria for identifying cheaters, as it does the runners who wish to enter it.

Yes this is my real name,

Mike Rossi

The decision to not DQ is probably to avoid bad press or a law suit. But the statement about adding timing mats and video cameras is a clear admittance they somebody cheated and the marathon was ill equipped to prevent or catch them.

As I stated in an earlier post, I think Rossi was never even on the course. So of course nobody saw anything suspicious. He got his bib and chip and gave it to another runner then hopped in his car as if he was dropping somebody off. That runner ran the race and dropped it somewhere along the course in the woods where Rossi could get it and finish the race. All Rossi would have to do is wait in the bushes until there was a big gap between runners and slip back in.

There has to be a runner that has the same exact start time, but a slightly slower finish time. I'd look for for him and try and find out if he has any connection to Rossi. FB friends? DJ'd his wedding?

The proof is out there. The problem is that this is not a criminal case or we'd be able to see security camera footage, phone records, GPS data, text messages to and from his accomplice, etc.

What a shame this jerk is getting away with this. But we know and he probably can't brag about Boston except to friends and relatives, and even many of them will question it.

Eugene the Careful Axe Wielder wrote:

Well, what a gutless decision by LVM. Truly disappointing.

Exactly. A slap in the face to good sportsmanship and all athletes that honor the sport - unlike LVM. In my book LVM will forever be the Cheaters Marathon. Time for a Google Bomb.

Freud wrote:

I think the obvious thing for everyone to do is register for Lehigh, cross the start line, jump in our cars and drive to somewhere after mile 25, hop on the course and finish under 2 hours, breaking the world record. To hell with a BQ, let's go for the whole enchilada. if you're less ambitious, you could just qualify for the Olympic Trials.

Lehigh has set the bar fairly low for what actually qualifies for officially finishing their race, so as long as we don't confess to cheating, our world records should be good. After all, lack of a past running history that would indicate the ability to run that fast, along with the absence of any photographs of us on the course between miles 1-25 aren't proof we didn't run the race.

Who's in?

Only if we all wear those "Rossi Posse" shirts.