I must be missing something. wrote:
And this is the one where he fluctuated between 5:57/5:58 mile pace and 8:02 mile pace and ran a couple of awesome age group world class 5k splits, 18:35-20to25k and 18:30-35to40k.
https://www.marathonfoto.com/Proofs?PIN=7K0H12&LastName=MEZA
Must be after this he started wearing two watches to better coordinate things.
This is just so sad. I watched the video of FM as the barefoot running doctor. He's trying to make a difference in fighting obesity and diabetes. I strongly support those issues. I can't wrap my head around why someone like this would cheat.
It obviously required a lot of meticulous planning. On page 39 of this thread, I described how it could be done.
The following sequence of events would be enough to convince a jury.
At the LA Marathon, FM comes through the 15k mat 17 seconds behind Greek Guy and Woman in Black by clock time.
A photographer was taking photos between the 15k and 20k mats. The runners were spread out at this point and photos were taken with a telephoto lens, which gives the photographer plenty of time to get each runner, but FM never shows up in this sequence of photos, either before or after the Greek Guy and the Woman in Black.
At about the 11.5-mile mark, a sequence of photos shows someone (FM?) apparently entering the course just behind Greek Guy and Woman in Black. This is FM. If he had been running nonstop since the 15k mat, he would have had to run roughly 6:20 to make up that 17-second gap to Greek Guy and Woman in Black.
Yet over the next few photos of Greek Guy and Woman in Black, FM gets outrun by several meters in less than 100 yards! There is no plausible explanation for why a runner would close a 17-second gap in two miles and then lose 10 meters to those same runners in 100 yards. The logical explanation is that for some logistical reason, he had to reenter the course sooner than at other times, so he couldn’t maintain their pace for the 0.9 miles to the 20k mat.
By the 20k mat, FM has lost 1:40 to Greek/Woman in Black. That would have been roughly an 8:10 pace over 0.9 miles.
Frank or Frank's best friend has been here all along... wrote:
Message to Frank. wrote:
MESSAGE TO FRANK
Now that Derek has contacted him I'm guessing Frank is now definitely aware of this thread so a repost:
[quote]Just sayin'. wrote:
I think he's probably been aware of this thread from the get go. This was posted on the first page. A very good "friend" or Frankie himself? What a glowing character reference nonetheless...
run4life23
registered
What is the point of this post? He is a highly accomplished runner who doesn't seem to care for publicity and public accolades. This man was raised in East LA by a single immigrant mother who worked as a seamstress and spoke little English. To say that he and his mom were poor is an understatement. The fact that he became a successful doctor meant he already defeated the odds against him in life.
I know this man personally and I assure you, he runs because he loves it. He doesn't really care if anyone else notices or not. The disqualifications and missed mats happened because honestly (when you are a fast runner, the mats don't always pick up on the chips), he was a little upset, but shrugged it off. As far as pictures being taken, he doesn't even notice cameras or his bib may not have even been showing (like I said, he's a private guy and he knows what he can do).
Again, I never get the sense that he really cares whether or not the world thinks he's great. He's already doing great in many aspects of his life personally and professionally (not related to running). So, feel free to argue or be a non believer, I don't think he cares. But, I assure you, he is not a cheater, he's just a simple man who loves to run. If you still don't believe, go ahead and physically follow him on his next race and please stop posting about stupid cheating ideas, it diminishes the whole sport and the spirit of running. If you all ever met him, you would understand.
If someone follows Frank on his next race, I’ll bet you $10,000 he won’t be within 30 minutes of 2:50.
Remember Elks Flag Day wrote:
Ok, well said. I hope it's cleared up too. The truth will prevail. Yes, there are some rude comments on this thread. But I think most want the truth to come out. Yes, a 2:53 at 70 should get attention. It's getting it now and being scrutinized. And yes, the whole thing makes me sad too. This thread makes me sad. I have empathy for him, but I can't ignore the inconsistencies.
But he can bounce back from this EVEN if he did cut the course. He can admit his mistakes if he made them. Jane Seo confessed to biking the course to cover her tracks. It softened the whole thing and she can surely laugh about it now. There's also the remote possibility this is all a simple misunderstanding. Unlikely given the evidence, as strong as that marathoner in Penn, but possible none the less. No one deals in absolutes.
So yes, a 2:53 is given the attention it deserves. No one would care if someone ran 3:05 @70.
I agree that the guy needn’t be crucified. Especially if he comes clean. But even if he adamantly denies it.
But if you think there is any possibility he isn’t cheating, you are going to be disappointed.
One or two anomalies could be a simple misunderstanding. Multiple anomalies coupled with his physique leaves no doubt.
He’ll disappear from running like all the other cheats do. That will be the ultimate proof.
My article will likely be published on Tuesday. I feel I need to get it out there as soon as possible. As such, initially I will focus primarily on just one or two of the races that are in questions. There are probably a dozen races worthy of scrutiny.
-Derek
on marathoninvestigations.com ?
oops marathoninvestigation.com ?
I must be missing something. wrote:
This is another where there's just odd stuff going on, 2015 LA Marathon Frank Meza Age:66 Bib: 1287 Net Time: 2:52:47 Clock Time: 2:54:15, yet in the photos he's shown crossing the line at 3:03:38.
And this is the one where he fluctuated between 5:57/5:58 mile pace and 8:02 mile pace and ran a couple of awesome age group world class 5k splits, 18:35-20to25k and 18:30-35to40k.
Also, in those photos Frank does look rather portly for a 66 year old running a 2:52:47 (which included two sizzling hot 5k's), note the old bib belt is getting a bit of a work out too.
Why do so many anomalies seem to occur only where Frank's involved?, it's probably just me, I must be missing something.
https://www.marathonfoto.com/Proofs?PIN=7K0H12&LastName=MEZAhttps://live.xacte.com/lamarathon/
"This is another where there's just odd stuff going on, 2015 LA Marathon Frank Meza Age:66 Bib: 1287 Net Time: 2:52:47 Clock Time: 2:54:15, yet in the photos he's shown crossing the line at 3:03:38."
This is really weird, Frank did cross the line in a clock time of 2:54:15 because he can be seen on 2:54:13 finisher Bib #1115 photos as he crosses the line, and also walking behind him directly after the finish.
But why would he then go back on to the course and get photos taken crossing the line at 3:03:38 clock time?
In the photo link below of #1115 Frank can be seen in Photos: 16,23,24,25. I also checked #1322 2:54:16 clock finisher, but nothing there, Frank had already passed through.
Over to you super sleuths.
https://www.marathonfoto.com/Proofs?PIN=7J9T68&LastName=ENGDerek, you probably won't do it for this first article, but the follow up, after Meza denies everything, should inc piece, include some quotes from the Race Directors. I have personally discussed FM with a timing guy and they knew FM was a cheat at CIM in 2014. flFM couldn't talk his way out of those bs splits. Ask the both good doctor and the RD why. It's illuminating.
Well. Have to be fair. Nothing really weird here with the 3:03. There's two clocks. One for the elite women or wheel chair athletes no doubt.
The clock in #1115's photos is below the letters "MARATHON". The clock in F.M. photos are under "ASICS".
Yep one piece of his weirdness that can be explained photo of both clocks.
Now about all the rest.
https://www.marathonfoto.com/Proofs?PIN=7J9R11&LastName=TASSONE
1,000 and 1 posts!! The Brothers must be loving this. Marathon cheaters and plagiarizers are like cash cows to this site.
Condemn the act, not the man wrote:
Remember Elks Flag Day wrote:
Ok, well said. I hope it's cleared up too. The truth will prevail. Yes, there are some rude comments on this thread. But I think most want the truth to come out. Yes, a 2:53 at 70 should get attention. It's getting it now and being scrutinized. And yes, the whole thing makes me sad too. This thread makes me sad. I have empathy for him, but I can't ignore the inconsistencies.
But he can bounce back from this EVEN if he did cut the course. He can admit his mistakes if he made them. Jane Seo confessed to biking the course to cover her tracks. It softened the whole thing and she can surely laugh about it now. There's also the remote possibility this is all a simple misunderstanding. Unlikely given the evidence, as strong as that marathoner in Penn, but possible none the less. No one deals in absolutes.
So yes, a 2:53 is given the attention it deserves. No one would care if someone ran 3:05 @70.
I agree that the guy needn’t be crucified. Especially if he comes clean. But even if he adamantly denies it.
But if you think there is any possibility he isn’t cheating, you are going to be disappointed.
One or two anomalies could be a simple misunderstanding. Multiple anomalies coupled with his physique leaves no doubt.
He’ll disappear from running like all the other cheats do. That will be the ultimate proof.
I don't see why you a couple of people are so desperate to forgive the guy before he's even 'fessed up, apologized, or anything else. If it was so easily forgivable, there wouldn't be any point going to all these lengths to uncover his misdeeds. Now, I'm not saying the guy should be tarred and feathered or anything extreme. But I'm not ready to forgive him. Why should I be? This is a guy who repeatedly screwed over the rightful winner of his age group in race after race. He screwed over people who actually worked hard, and he took what was rightfully theirs, and did this time after time. It's easy to not take those age group awards seriously if you are a "serious" athlete, but by that age in life, winning your age group might be one of the high points of your year.
And this is a guy who presumably has plenty going for him! It sounds like he is well-liked locally, and obviously one would presume from his profession that he isn't poor. How much does it take to satisfy his ego, that he feels the need to take from others to bring more attention and admiration to himself? I have some sympathy for him if it is the result of some sort of mental illness. But then, doesn't everybody who does something bad has a good reason for what they do, if you go far back enough to find the root cause? But we don't have sympathy for most of the "losers" in life. This desire to forgive FM before anything is even fully established reeks of the deference often shown in legal matters to white collar criminals. Just because the guy is a doctor and a supposed do-gooder doesn't get him a free pass to cheat for years, and then be forgiven immediately after being exposed.
Golgi Body wrote:
This desire to forgive FM before anything is even fully established reeks of the deference often shown in legal matters to white collar criminals. Just because the guy is a doctor and a supposed do-gooder doesn't get him a free pass to cheat for years, and then be forgiven immediately after being exposed.
This ^^^^ times 1000.
Spot on GB, spot on.
@ fisky
Your posts are a good read. No runner would run a marathon in the fartlek style.
But I trust in Derek Murphy and the upcoming article on Tuesday.
All races should, in my opinion, include a clause that proven fraud cases are followed by a multi-year ban for participation in races. Personally speaking I can't see a difference between someone who uses PEDs and another one who enters and leaves the course or swaps the BIB because that happens for faster times.
? ROFL ? Pick me up off the floor. wrote:
Frank or Frank's best friend has been here all along... wrote:
run4life23
registered
The disqualifications and missed mats happened because honestly (when you are a fast runner, the mats don't always pick up on the chips), he was a little upset, but shrugged it off.
Haha, classic, couldn't help but laugh out loud when I read this.
Yes, 8.9mph plays havoc with 21st century timing technology. They need a different way to gauge the velocity of out(right)liers s like Frank.
Strange though, from the photo and video evidence, you'd think a sundial would be good enough to measure his "speed".
.
doubler wrote:
My article will likely be published on Tuesday. I feel I need to get it out there as soon as possible. As such, initially I will focus primarily on just one or two of the races that are in questions. There are probably a dozen races worthy of scrutiny.
-Derek
That's fantastic news. Well done for moving so quickly once you started investigating.
The guy is advertised as having the American and World record for a 70 year old FFS. (On the Loyola High School Website). That's the worst example of marathon cheating I've ever heard of. Even Rosie Ruiz didn't claim to have set a "world record".
.
"The biggest mark of the weekend was left by Loyola XC/distance assistant coach Dr. Frank Meza, who won his age group race (70+) at the Sprouts Mesa-PHX Marathon. His time of 2:53:54 set a new U.S. and World Record, besting the old record of 2:54:27 set two months ago."
No more words needed.