Half marathon course cutter Ashley Paulson, who served 6 month contamination suspension, wins coveted Badwater 135.

One thing is for sure, next year I'm definitely going to be following her the entire race in my car. I'll wear my GPS watch and record it with my dashcam so we can be sure she has appropriate splits.

She should have no problem with this if she ran legitimately.

That sounds brutally boring.

Ultimately, the accused will either perform under elevated scrutiny in future races and quiet all doubt; underperform and leave her past performance in question; or decide it's not worth it and say to hell with the sport of ultra running.

On the fastest splits, the main thesis is accurate. I built a spreadsheet comparing the top 10 finishers over the last several years. Ashley's split was the fastest from LP to PR and also the fastest from PR to the Finish. The average pace of the top 10 finishers over the last several years was nearly 50% slower (and these are the world class of the world class). There are only a couple people who have ever run those sections faster in the history of the race. One of them is Pete Kostelnick - the year he ran faster he had just gotten up from an 8 hour break. Including that in a comparison of data is nonsensical.

With regards to the comment that she ran the final 4 faster than anybody ever in history, this was the type of comment I was referring to when I said I expected some splitting of hairs. Vogel ran the last segment a couple minutes faster but the previous segment several minutes slower. Ashley ran the final 13 mile segment in total faster than Vogel...and that was after doing the Panamint to Lone Pine section 90 minutes faster yet. Ashley's splits were outliers compared to outliers. But they weren't impossible. Its totally possible to do 13:30s up that final climb, and for her to do it. None of any of this (splits, twin dressing, not breathing hard at the end) are definitive evidence. He has said as much. The main thesis of everything he said is true. Based on her history and reports from several people of suspicious behavior, it is worthy of being investigated. Whether 0 people beat her split in 30 years or 1 person did, or 2 is a distinction without a difference - her splits were significantly faster than the best runners in the world. That's the data point that when coupled with personal reports that matters.

So now 5 days have passed - if all those people who reported suspicious behavior don't speak up soon, we all have no choice but to assume they are butthurt trolls trying to stir up trouble.

Plenty of men and women have run outlier races and have never been questioned like this. This is the scarlet letter she wears due to her past history. Perhaps the silver lining for her is if all of this ends up being a bunch of nothing, all of this excruciatingly detailed research will help prove the win and her abilities once and for all.

No one knows for sure how she cheated or if she did cheat for sure. But we can speculate. If you look at her finishing pic, you see that she's dressed almost identically to her pacer. Her pacer could have easily ran part or all of the nighttime portions of the course for her while she rested in the car while wearing her watch. There's no way any observer who didn't know exactly what they were looking for would have possibly noticed. If she did cheat, I suspect that's how she pulled it off.

I agree. I’m glad people have the time to look at it in detail. But until I see photos or videos or witnesses willing to go on record, I’m going to assume it’s valid.

This image below (or linked below) is on the Badwater site and shows Paulson and her pacer; "Ashley Paulson and pacer descend Towne Pass into the Panamint Valley during the 2022 Badwater 135."

No bib for either is visible in the photo.

Badwater rules state both the Racer and Pacer must wear bibs on their front at all times.

Badwater seems to not be enforcing a requirement which helps prevent cheating.

What am I missing?

3. The race number bib must be worn by the racer on the front of
the body, unmodified, unfolded, and visible at all times during the
race. It may not be worn on the head or hat. The Pacer Bib numbers
must also be worn similarly by any pacer / crew member who is
running along with his or her racer.

Image:www.badwater.com/wp-content/uploads/20...

This is the same race that credits Parvaneh Moayedi with a finish despite the reports of multiple witnesses that saw her riding part of the race in her car. If you were expecting strict rule enforcement from them, it may be time to adjust expectations.

She should have been warned. She was wearing a belt with the number. There’s a video of the number in the front, but the belt was too loose and you can see the number on the side and on the back at times. I heard that they wear numbers like that for triathlon?

Those belts have a tendency to rotate to the back. I can imagine after moving to the front several times , one would say screw it and let it ride, only to move it forward at a check point or aid station as needed.

Don't tend to want to support this athlete, or her defenders especially, but Derek should retract the article if he can't do better soon, very soon. He acted like he could deliver this week and maybe he can't, take it back.

There's a better chance of Salazar breaking the marathon WR.

Without making comment on the accusations, it’s just funny to me that Badwater is simultaneously like”grrrrr we are the TOUGHEST RACE IN THE WORLD. DEATH MARCH CAGE MATCH” and also like “it’s totally normal to be bopping around not out of breath, smiling, having a great time, not even sweating.”

Then we watch the interviews from Worlds and athletes are gasping and dripping sweat.

Having raced triathlons and worn a bib belt, it speeds transition. It's worn on the front during the run and on the rear during the bike. It stays put if properly adjusted.

I've seen this image, but it was part of a series and the subsequent images did show the correct bib on runner and the correct bib on pacer. While technically not within the rules, it doesn't prove that she didn't run it. I think a race director in an ultra would dismiss it as a technicality.

What is the point of rules if Athletes and Race Officials ignore them?

This would seem a "lesser infraction" which, also according to published Badwater Race Rules, requires issuance of a recorded warning, followed by Time Penalty, followed by DQ.

It's not like Badwater can claim no knowledge, since they posted and annotated the photo.

Other, lesser offenses will result in the following cumulative time penalties:
• A WARNING may be issued, depending on the nature of the
infraction, at the discretion of the race official (A “slash” will be
marked on the racer’s bib number.)
• First Penalty: One Hour (“X” will be marked on the racer’s bib number.)
• Second Penalty: Disqualification

The posted photo also shows both Racer and Pacer running down the middle of the road.

This is also contrary to posted rules for the Event and is said to require a Time Penalty or DQ

7. Running must always be single file, on the far left side of the
road or off the left side of the road, facing traffic (pacers, too).

...Time Penalties or Disqualification will be enforced with a
Zero Tolerance Policy towards dangerous crossing of, or behavior
on, the roadway

I see your point.

Anyone calling attention to rules must have a "void in their life".

Like the folks at Badwater who wrote and posted them.

Let's give Paulson back the 1:14 half, also. Heck, so what if she cut the course and didn't re-enter it where she left?

Just stupid rules.

If you want to gripe about a bib belt sliding around, then yes you have a void in your life.

That obvious statement is not the same as saying to throw out all rules.