Robert Young fakes run across America

apersson wrote:

Which bits are you doubting? The going into running a marathon a day. From experience I don't think that is implausible.

So he's gone from being a lounge lizard with a self confessed crap diet and I'm assuming more than the 79kg weight he listed in Wikipedia, to:

"Not only does he claim to run his first three marathons ever all within a 30-hour period of time which included less than 4 hours sleep, but he got progressively FASTER as he did so: 4:07, 3:28, 3:19."

And from your "experience" you "don't think that is implausible"?

Words fail me.

You mean so Rob can jump out of the RV and pretend he was running on top of it or the side? LOL. He already fooled the Bunny Lady with that shtick.

Why can't you address the obvious while you continue to praise his walking ability and character?

Where was Rob when the RV was "running" slowly in the new video? The video showed time before and after RV passed by the business from where it was took. Rob wasn't running in ahead or behind. This is exactly what was stated in Asher's first post.

Andy, please, please, please read the whole thread, probably best first thing in the morning instead of going for a run, then come on here and comment. At the moment you're just making yourself look like a bigger prat than Kev.

That is so cool.

Asher please keep going until it's over.

I can't address the video and the RV as I wasn't there. Neither were you. Only the filmer and the team were. Unfortunately the filmer didn't seem to be able to keep up with the RV so he hasn't been able to enlighten us further. Hopefully the team will. Not sure if they are aware of this and in a way hope they aren't as it wouldn't be the kind of stress Rob needs. If some people can get along to join him, as he keeps asking people to do, there may be more reason to believe him. Of course if they find him unable to run 60+ miles a day, then you will have been proved right. As I said, all I can vouch for is his charcter and his ability as I know it. This is the link to the first marathon I met him on, a mountain one http://results.sportident.co.uk/home/event.html?eventid=e4f0344f-164a-4125-9b9c-b7e7075b354d&mobile=false I seem to remember he had run an ultra the day before and was off for another marathon the following day. Many of his runs were done in the park, so I guess it's a case of believe him if you like - I don't think Guinness have ratified his most marathons in a year. But there are lots recorded, including an impressive London time, despite a ten minute interview on the BBC mid-run.

Doubting Thomas wrote:

rojo wrote:

Yes road trip. As I need partners. I'll pay for the gas and beer.

Robert said the very same thing to his crew!

10/10

From that Wiki page: In 2014 Young quit his job and started running full-time and hasn't stopped. So he is now a professional athlete. How does he fund his lifestyle? Is he on benefits? Does his fiancee work? I suppose having a bestselling novel must be quite lucrative

apersson wrote:as a very average runner don't understand why everyone finds this so unbelievable Rob is a much better runner than me, so I have no doubt he has the capability of doing this.

I find it believable that Rob is a really good runner. I believe has has run a whole whole lot. I think it's possible that he has the capability to make an attempt on the cross-country record.

I find it hard to believe he ran 3 marathons in his first 30 hours off the couch, getting faster each time and ending with a 3:19.

I see no documentation that he ran a sub 31 min 10k, which is inconsistent with his other races.

I have not heard any reasonable explanation why his RV has been observed more than once crawling at running speed on the road with no runner in sight.

Other parts of his story, including his oddly vague history as an elite cyclist and triathlete, don't seem to pass the smell test.

apersson wrote:

..., so I guess it's a case of believe him if you like ...

So it's fundamentally the same as the tooth fairy?

Heavyd84 wrote:

It claims on his wikipedia page that he "represented GB (age group 20-24) winning 2004 European Long Distance triathlon Bronze Medal in Immenstadt, Germany."

Upon further research, I don't think a european long distance triathlon even took place in germany that year.

Here is a link to results of 2004 of the european triathlon union, no such championship in germany exists. Is this accurate?

http://etu.triathlon.org/results/P825

Maybe this is the triathlon info:

It was swim 4K, bike 120K, run 30K triathlon called the "ITU Long Distance World Championship" on June 4, 2004 in Säter, Sweden.

According to this, he placed 10th out of 15 in his M20-24 age group and 177th overall out of 504. Fwiw, he did the 30K run at the end in 2:33:37 (8:14 mile pace).

That's certainly not a "bronze medal."

Apersson - please read this thread in full. You might be a genuine person who believes in Robert, but the evidence is overwhelming.

His claims from the book are complete rubbish. That isn't particularly important but unfortunately someone who lies about one aspect (and that is a complete lie!) might lie about others.

I think this is part of the problem, his London time is far from impressive. Seriously if that impresses you then I think it's fair to say that you have zero comprehension of what being a top class ultramarathon runner entails. That doesn't prove anything about his run, but fir me it counts your testimony as virtually worthless.

apersson wrote:

I read that he was in a car and that the RV was crawling along the road. In fact I swear I saw him overtake in the video. If he was so keen to support Rob, could have been a good idea to flag down the RV and find out what was going on

Rob Young is a cheater and a liar.

- His 5K and 10K PB's are fake.

- He carries too much body weight to run the those PBs

- Nobody and I mean nobody rolls out of bed one day without ever running marathons and completes 3 as a neophyte in span of 30 hours in 4:07, 3:28, and 3:19

- His wiki page list of race results is dubious at best and outright fraudulent at worst

fiction faction wrote:

From that Wiki page: In 2014 Young quit his job and started running full-time and hasn't stopped. So he is now a professional athlete. How does he fund his lifestyle? Is he on benefits? Does his fiancee work? I suppose having a bestselling novel must be quite lucrative

Lucrative enough that during the Race Across the USA last year, he flew to London, ran the London Marathon on Sun, April 26, and flew back to finish and win the Race Across the USA.

Fwiw, in the results, it looks like he pulled this off with a scheduled off day in the race and doubling up on April 24 by running two legs of the race in one day.

And the "Live" Tracker still has not moved since 10:19am this morning...

Sorry, maybe should have checked his time before saying that. What was it? I just remember being impressed at the time that he had taken a day off from race across USA and ran it in what seemed a pretty decent time including the interview which I watched, then flew back to the States to complete two marathons in a day to make up.

Wow, this is amazing stuff! Love this site! Always heard rumors that this guy was an ultra-fraud, and might be true. I'm still holding off on judgment but it does not look good for him. So many people in ultra are cheats, it's great when one gets exposed.

Two things:

Most of the "issues" in providing accurate live-tracking of the run are BS. Using something like Scott Jurek's record attempt on the AT last year as a model, it's pretty clear that these issues can be easily addressed with live tracking that is ACTUALLY WORN BY THE RUNNER and to have multiple runners join you for segments. SJ's team figured out a way to show legitimacy on a trail that has far less road access than the routes that Young is supposedly running.

Second thing. Rather than spending all the time and money to spend a team to tail him, why not have someone that owns a drone find the RV without being too conspicuous and film from above for an hour during daylight. This way Young and his team won't know they're being tracked and we would have conclusive evidence proof if he is not actually running near the RV. If a team of runners show up to tail him he can jump out and start running, but he can't fake it if he never knows the drone is watching.

Ditto.

I have no doubt Rob has a fine string of accolades. I have no doubt he's run some respectable times. After all, 2:44 is a respectable marathon time and 139 miles is also a respectable tally mark for 24 hours.

The issue is with all of the unverifiable claims-- the professional cycling, the now imfamous self-proclaimed negative split trio of marathons that were ran on a whim by someone who stated he wasn't exactly living the healthy life.

Others have said it, and I'll say it again:

people simply don't do something like that, and if they do-- legitimize it before publishing it as a truth in a book. Use GPS. Or don't state it as a fact, because it isn't feasible to even the most experienced ultra/multi day runners I know.

If Rob doesn't want to be stressed by his doubting Toms, he might've planned better for this endeavor. You can't go into something like this without tracking.

I'm glad Laz is heading out to follow this horse and pony show. If anyone has the disposition and patience for the task, it's him.