Boston Marathon Bib Fraud

Rodio wrote:

dpmrunner wrote:

Leaving aside for the moment the sense of entitlement that came across in the case of the Crowleys (and I'll admit I was pretty annoyed about that), another cause for concern is that there could be copycats whose motives are a LOT more dangerous than a desire to run Boston (or whatever race they forge a bib for the purpose of getting into a corral).

Might someone use that ploy to get an explosive into a crowded corral?

People who use this route need to think about unintended consequences.

Of course, race organizers, now aware of this type of forgery will likely add yet another layer of security--with entry fees going up accordingly.

^^this^^

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^^not this^^

If a terrorist wanted to get something into a crowded corral, do you think an entry fee for a real bib would be a deterrent?? Get real.

C/M Runner wrote:

here is a 2nd story, but this time, the bandit is the wife of the founder of Foursquare.

http://www.wcvb.com/news/fake-bibs-being-probed-by-boston-marathon-organizers/25650754#

!FP0PP

That really is pathetic to use the bombings last year to excuse being a cheat

The reason people want to run is so they can put there picture on FB and brag

When I was running you would get the odd person running with no number they just usually wanted to test themselves and were not looking for some personal glory

Either you guys are old and just don't understand "sharing" things with "friends" online, you all have great hindsight, or both.

Earlier somebody tried to say posting a picture of your bib online was the equivalent of posting a picture of your poop...... no. This person was excited and proud to be running in a prestigious race, so they posted a picture to share their joy. They (unlike you geniuses that have the benefit of hindsight) didn't know this would allow others to print a fake bib.

The solution is quite simple... print the real bibs with a watermark or just put some other confirmation # on the back of the bib, this would not allow people on the internet to see it and it would be cheap and easy.

dude, really? wrote:

Like another poster said, Boston has always been known as a race frequently bandited (is that a word). I think of it no different as speeding or not wearing your seat belt. You can certainly get away with it but don't cry if you get busted or don't like the consequences. If any year you shouldn't bandit would be the year after the bombing.

It's actually more like a Class D felony in Massachusetts:

General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 267, Section 2. Whoever, with intent to injure or defraud, falsely makes, alters, forges or counterfeits a . . . ticket, badge, pass or any written or printed license purporting to entitle the holder or owner thereof to admission to any exhibition, entertainment, performance, match or contest of any kind, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than three years or in jail for not more than two years, or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars.

Or the BAA could go big and claim copyright infringement on the bib design.

I can't believe we still don't know who these four clowns are. I am all for a little public shaming.

they know who they are

living in fear of outing is a pretty bad fate for someone to live with

Will the BAA make formal announcement once they complete their review process? Here is a link to an article showing a few more cheaters.

http://runnersbreakfast.com/2014/04/25/boston-bib-fraud-fury-rages-on/

bump

Still would like to know who these clowns are.

Bump Heart Break Hill Running Company getting off light. The cat wearing their singlet with the fraudulent bib should have been publicly identified.

Everyone knows that the Boston Marathon accepts the fact that there are bandits, and that it is a tradition with Boston College. They even agreed to give them finishers medals.

One has to wonder if this is due to the difficulty of getting in races. I'm not talking about Boston where a runner has ample opportunity for 12mo to get in the race if they can run the times (sorry Dennis Crowley, your wife just isn't fast enough to make the cut, so don't copy your bib for her).

I know no one who duplicated a Boston bib, but I do know many that bandited the Utica Boilermaker, the nation's largest 15K. As an example, the Boilermaker sold out in around an hour this year, 4 months before the race. Did you sleep in or get coffee before opening your laptop to register? Sorry, 12000 people just beat you to it. I was there at the tick that it opened, which I felt silly, but when I'd finished, 5000 people had already registered.

So it's really a question of entitlement. If race organizers don't make the race massive enough to hold everyone, are they privy to bandit? It would seem enough Americans these days cannot fathom doing without, so they just take what they want. Personally, I severely injured my IT band forcing myself to a BQ, since that's how you're supposed to race Boston. I'd never fathomed stealing an entry.

PS: BAA, it's obvious who stole bibs in these photos. Make sure you give them a BAN FOR LIFE, and let's scan the barcodes on those bibs like tickets at NFL games. I thought you were beefing up security last year after all.

http://runnersbreakfast.com/2014/04/25/boston-bib-fraud-fury-rages-on/

And what would barcodes do? First come first serve with that bib?? If the bandit showed up before the real registered runner, the real runner would not be allowed in because the bandit stole the spot. Even matching the associated barcodes' name with an ID probably wouldn't help.

Collin wrote:

Who gives a shit about all of this?

EXACTLY.