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

Felt for a while now he's getting outside assistance. wrote:

read the thread no handoff at LAM wrote:

No hand off. There's no bib mule situation involved in the LAM for this runner, IMO.

Agree, but it looks like he's getting outside assistance to get around the course, by what means, who knows?

The people who are wondering how he got around the course most likely never ran the course. Those who are familiar with the course like myself know it’s easy to navigate. I’ve ran the course and also biked to cheer people on. It’s not hard to do.

Frank Meza Report wrote:

In a 2014 sprint triathlon he posted a 26:57 5K 8:40 on a running course that couldn't be cheated. 2014 is the same year he ran eight marathons and was DQed from CIM for running a preposterous 2:52.

3/104 in the swim (He most likely cut the swim and started in a different wave.)

Wow, this would be awesome for someone in their 20's/30's never mind 60's, were there any other 2014 events in addition to those?

3/104 in the swim (He most likely cut the swim and started in a different wave.) - Lol.

He's a super fish too. ? ?? wrote:

More like a shark ?

Who's about to be caught?

And filleted for sushi ?

carrying your shirt, but discarded before finish wrote:

Are you familiar with Long Beach? Where on the course is this photo taken?

Another top day for old Frankie, but ended up wearing a singlet, unlike the 2019 LAM (short sleeve T over a long sleeve T) he must have been feeling the heat a bit.

2920

FRANK MEZA

SOUTH PASADENA CA

M/69

2:53:27

2:54:25

6:36/mi

15 Overall

1 Age Group

START

00:00

0:58

5K

20:27

21:25

6:34 /mi

6:25 /mi

10K

40:24

41:22

6:30 /mi

6:54 /mi

HALF

1:28:00

1:28:58

6:42 /mi

6:40 /mi

20MILE

2:14:00

2:14:58

6:42 /mi

24MILE

Predicted 2:40:48

Predicted 2:41:58

FINISH

2:53:27

2:54:25

6:36 /mi

I love puzzles so when I woke up at 3:30AM and couldn't get back to sleep, I asked myself, how could someone cheat at a marathon year after year and not get caught. Here' my thoughts.

Marathon Cheating 101

Assuming someone wanted to cheat to run a sub-3 marathon. How could it be done over and over without getting caught?

1. Find a suitable course. Become intimately familiar with it, including how the course could be cut or how a runner could be ferried between 5k mats by car.

2. Determine your desired finish time.

3. Determine realistic splits to achieve that time, accounting for slowing at the end and hills.

4. Determine the best exit and reentry points to hit every mat. Ideally, it should be where exits and reentries wouldn’t be noticed much, such as at a corner, near a porta potty, or after a water stop when walking runners would toss their cups and start running again.

5. To facilitate multiple exits and reentries, wear a bib belt and floppy clothing to hide the belt so no one will see it when you exit/reenter the course. Keep the bib hidden except for mats and known photo points. Even if someone sees you, they won’t have a race number to report to the race director.

6. Wear a disguise… a cap, sunglasses, clothing that doesn’t obviously scream “elite runner” when you’re off the course, and clothing to hide the bib belt.

7. Don’t start up front. Wait a while and then get lost in the crowd. More people will be on the course so the first few exits and reentries will be less likely to get noticed. Alternately, you could skip the START entirely and have a mule carry your bib across the start line, exit, and then ferry the bib to you before the first 5k mat.

8. Start your watch when your mule starts or when you start if you actually start the race.

9. Cut the course soon after crossing the start mat. Call your driver to make sure he/she is at the designated pickup location.

10. Have an accomplice who drives you to the next entry point or take a short cut, depending on the course. (Driver leaps forward to next ferry point after dropping you off.)

11. Walk to your reentry point. Check the time of your last split on your watch. Time your reentry into the race to hit the next mat at/near your desired split time.

12. After the mat, exit again. Get ferried or cut course to get to some point before the next mat.

13. When runners get far apart, reentering the course could get noticed so when practical, jump in after a group passes by to make your reentry less obvious to spectators. Adjust your pace accordingly to hit the next split at the appropriate time.

14. Repeat steps 9-12 until the 40k mat.

15. Reenter before the 40k mat and run to the finish yourself. This could be your longest run of the day, but runners slow at the finish so even if you’re a minute slower than your previous splits, it’s believable. Make sure your bib is visible at the finish.

Regardless of planning, two things would be unavoidable. 1) Official photographers switching their previous location or adding a new location. You wouldn’t show up sequentially or at all on their race photos unless they were really close to the timing mats before you cut the course. 2) Leapfrogging runners who pass you on the course, perhaps multiple times. Still, as long as you’re not in their age group, few runners would care so it wouldn't get reported.

Thoughts?

^all makes sense to me...

I find it strange and wonder what type of person would do that....

....perhaps the real mystery....

running sideways or not? wrote:

http://www.finisherpix.com/gallery/singlephoto/en/usd/2487/2487_212832

Not a port a potty in sight!

running sideways or not? wrote:

Haha, SPRUNG!!!

This is just before the photo with him carrying the shirt. Also missing from entire series of photos at the Long Beach course. Like this section.

http://www.finisherpix.com/gallery/photobrowser/en/USD/2487#All/All/13618

running sideways or not? wrote:

http://www.finisherpix.com/gallery/singlephoto/en/usd/2487/2487_212832

Looks like 1244 had an honest race, he just missed out sub 3hr, should've stuck with the old fox Frank ? who would've shown the young pup ? a few tricks.

Comparing 1244's result stats against Frank's it looks like Frankie boy may have missed a couple of mats towards the end, could account for their around 7 minute time difference lol, wonder where Frank's 'running sideways' with 1244 photo was taken.

https://www.motivrunning.com/run-longbeach/race/results/

The real question is: Frank ran 1:28:00 and 1:25:27 ....1:25:27 coming home after 1:28:00 at 69 and 9 months of age. You accept that. Of course many courses have inaccurate split distances. My experiences are that almost all courses are this way.

Roderick Powell wrote:

Mary Akor running 19:23 then 22:20 is not likely for a runner of her experience and talent. A 3 minute drop second 5k would indicate something dramatic happened with her. (or anybody, really)

She had a hamstring injury. She slowed down in that section for the injury.

..also at Long Beach 2018 there are the same pictures of all runners along the course at the same places..but FM's pictures are just at the very end..and his bib was well placed on his left side to be identified photos. That is clear indication that he did not run past those photographers. He looked strong at the end...

There’s only two things we don’t like about Frank...his face! (Old joke)

Photos taken at mile 6.0. Gladstone’s. Just before 10k mat.

There is no photo for runner bib#2920 who crossed the mat at 41:22

Browse link:

http://www.finisherpix.com/gallery/photobrowser/en/USD/2487#All/All/4031

photo_number, bib#, 10k clock time

2487_064481, 1531, 39:31

2487_064482, 1531, 39:31

2487_064483, 2702, 39:39

2487_064484, 1193, (missed mat)

2487_064485, 1193, (missed mat)

2487_064486, 1990, 40:14

2487_064487, 1751 and 1990, 40:14

2487_064488, 1751, 40:14

2487_064489, wheelchair athlete

2487_064490, wheelchair athlete

2487_064491, 1243, 40:30

2487_064492, 1243, 40:30

2487_064493, 3151, 41:18

2487_064494, 3151, 41:18

2487_064495, 3221, 41:43 (Mary Akor, lead female)

2487_064496, 3221, 41:43 (Mary Akor, lead female)

2487_064497,1239, 41:40 (Sergio C. with cyclists in background)

2487_064498,2828, 41:51

Remember this.. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19935184/marathon-running-couple/

Gladstone's long beach wrote:

Photos taken at mile 6.0. Gladstone’s. Just before 10k mat.

There is no photo for runner bib#2920 who crossed the mat at 41:22

? Oh dear,

another marathon,

another location,

another photo sequence,

another missing Frank.