Marathon Investigation Busts Instagram Influencer

There is a place for all that info on the back of most race bibs.

The risk calculated by insurance companies isn't going to change with one runner switching out a bib with another runner.

Do you have multiple examples for these incidents happening? There are millions of race finishes each year in the US. Surely, if this is a problem, examples are in the 100s.

People like Matt reek of BS so I'm not necessarily surprised this came out. He's as corny as SJD but at least Seth is a legitimate runner and has only in the last few years lost his marbles. He's got a great success story, a cult following, good looking guy that sells snake oil to people.

He didn't try to hide his bib swap because his followers are too enamored with him to remotely consider a different perspective.

Can we stop giving idiots like this a platform?

Minus HellahGood and Kofuzi, all these YouTube average Joe's are goobers and liars and cornballs alike

Also, I don't particularly like matt, but Derek has really sunk to the bottom of the barrel with this. He has always maintained that he tries to reach out to the suspect to get their side of the story. I don't know how he would expect someone recovering from a marathon and running a full time business to respond to emails from randos within 2 days. Literally zero "investigation" going on here. He couldn't even contact HM RDs to see what happened?

Dude, I'm not defending the no race bib transfer policy, or chastising bandits. I don't think this situation is a big deal, nor do I generally think banditing is horrible with a few exceptions like the college idiot who bandited a high school state championship meet.

Anyone who happens to be at the race can sue the event, not just registered waiver signing participants. A random spectator that slips and falls on the sidewalk. A hungover bar patron that walks into the bike pacer.

HOWEVER, having correct participant information is important in emergency situations. You're purposely being dense if you're going to argue this.

Aw c'mon, man

I was out by 58 seconds in Philly. I'm borderline fast.
I'm running Paris too.
I'm gonna run as many as it takes.

So much hate and meanness on this forum. Heck.
Where's all y'all's running endorphins?

You're the one arguing that insurance companies risk calculations are inaccurate if someone bib swaps, correct?

The point was not “meanness” it was to say that I don’t see you as having any moral high ground this guy.

I remember when Matt got called out by David Goggins, and Matt deleted his comment on Goggins' video

Because one of my 5 marathons this year is a fast course? Get a grip.
I'll run anywhere they let me and I'm following all the rules.
Choi got DQ'd out of a sanctioned race
Everyone’s got the same list of races to choose from, the understanding is we
do it like we signed up to do it.
I’m running the NYC 9+1 program this year and a guy I know and like approached
me and offered to run some of my races.
I declined.
No harm done if you do it, I suppose, and it’s personally a pain in the hoop
getting to NYC 5 or so times this year. But those are the rules.
I understand people that are tempted by this – and there’s probably no places
being stolen from anyone else – but still, man.
You gotta earn things the right way.
This is the weirdest forum.
Calling people who run in qualifying races ‘weasels’
Does anyone remember laughter?

Incorrect.

I would have no problem with the race charging an administrative fee. So, instead of being out $150 - $200, you could pay $10 - $20 to transfer the bib to a friend as a gift, or sell it. Some races do this.

The point isn't that bib swapping is "a big deal" or the end of the world. No one thinks it's a mortal sin. It's just kind of dumb. You go through all the trouble to run your own running youtube channel and you don't bother to sign up for the race? Uh..you can do better than that.

You're not going to burn in hell for borrowing a bib. But people will think, "You just bragged to everyone about achieving a goal, it looked like you did, but then you got disqualified? Uh, lol. That was kind of dumb."

You think that a guy who draws attention to himself on social media like that would have good judgement and a solid character?

I knew it, something seemed fishy about him

It’s a nice service of races that offer it, sure. I could see it messing up high demand races though, since it might make a secondary market crop up for bibs to sought after or prestigious races. It also might impact the number of initial registrants to allow (which would shrink) given that RDs likely count on some attrition and no-shows prior to race day when determining how many people to let sign up.

I will absolutely not have any diminished thoughts about a person's time on the clock based on them not signing up and using a friend's bib who did sign up but can't/isn't running. So what.

What are you going to do, require DNA samples and a family tree at the starting line? If you mule a bib there is no way the race is responsible for you.

There is a difference between being cautious and changing the way you do everything based of paranoid fantasies about what might be possible. Let them mule the bib, if they get caught, DQ; if they don't get caught, send it to Boston.