This keeps getting better. This guy is probably the worst cheat I've ever come across.
"World Record Holder". Jeez it just sticks in my throat/keyboard. That this plodding loser can puff himself up and sell himself as the fastest marathoning 70 year old human being who's ever lived, is beyond belief.
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doubler wrote:
Follow up article tomorrow. There is clear evidence relating to Phoenix. Not sure if I will add in Pasadena Half or not. Maybe I’ll hit Pasadena and Long Beach on Thursday. Just going down the list.
No rush Derek, it's a long list going back years, you could be at it for months going through them all, so why rush? :)
good man...... wrote:
This keeps getting better. This guy is probably the worst cheat I've ever come across.
"World Record Holder". Jeez it just sticks in my throat/keyboard. That this plodding loser can puff himself up and sell himself as the fastest marathoning 70 year old human being who's ever lived, is beyond belief.
He may have puffed himself up, but he's about to get very deflated, I just Googled: Frank Miza .
Great job Derek.
Now please look into that medical degree.
Usually more than one cockroach if you find one.
He's now (in)famous... wrote:
Ha Ha. Google Frank Meza and the Marathon Investigation piece is the second hit. No doubt you wanted some small amount of celebrity for your running "achievements" Frank. Now you have it..
I'm guessing Frank just wanted the kudos and celebrity from his circle of friends and associates, I can't believe that many in the know, especially fellow runners and those in the sports areas of Loyola High, wouldn't have known he was suspect when it came to his running achievements.
But Frank's a good guy, he does good works, etc, etc so he gets a free pass with not one person willing to put their head above the parapet, can't blame them, we've seen what happens on social media when you do with certain types, even when it's plainly and obviously true, it takes something like LR and Marathon Investigation.
I became aware through this thread that there are probably a lot of lousy run-cheats who hang their fake results in the office and boast with it. The question is how the RDs will handle this case.
Frank Meza Report wrote:
Thank you Derek and all the sleuths on letsrun who contributed empirical and visual evidence on Frank Meza. Also, Roderick deserves credit for challenging this evidence which brought even more evidence. The last triathlon was the easiest to show how Frank has become a “course ninja” in his many competitions.
Contribution made to MI.
+1
Derek, I hope you get plenty of contributions from LRC readers in the wake of this one. I just did. Well done, and well earned!
The thing that puzzles me about FM is the (likely) accomplices. It doesn't seem like there's anything too sh!tty for one single person to do on their own. But how do you find other people to go along with it? It seems like when you first describe your plan to any rational person, they'll look at you like the bag of sh!t you are and say "no thanks".
He's a wonderful guy fellas. wrote:
Found this nauseating tribute video tribute to Frank along with him claiming to be a marathon world record holder. And that was four years ago:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=871417172991515
I could not watch this whole video. After Frank brags about breaking the age 66 US Record (I think this is his alleged PR set in crazy heat), the first person paying tribute actually says "Frank Meza is the real deal. He walks the walk after talking the talk."
Why does FM need an accomplice?
1. Place a bicycle a mile after the start.
2. After the start run to the bicycle.
3. Cycle to the first timing mat, lock your bicycle.
4. Walk back half a mile.
5. Hop on course and cross the timing mat.
6. Leave the course shortly after the timing mat.
7. Cycle to the next timing mat.
repeat
Since he hides his bib, he can easily give the impression that he's supporting someone. Or whatnot.
Wyman wrote:
Why does FM need an accomplice?
1. Place a bicycle a mile after the start.
2. After the start run to the bicycle.
3. Cycle to the first timing mat, lock your bicycle.
4. Walk back half a mile.
5. Hop on course and cross the timing mat.
6. Leave the course shortly after the timing mat.
7. Cycle to the next timing mat.
repeat
Since he hides his bib, he can easily give the impression that he's supporting someone. Or whatnot.
Agreed, but any time now, someone will assert that since you don't know the tyre pressure in his bike tyres, your entire premise is wrong.
I didn't mean to prove that this is the way FM does it. But it can be done without someone else being in the know. Finding someone waiting for you in a car or on a scooter is even harder and more likely to fail than merely going back to the place where you locked your bicycle yourself. Relying on an accomplice introduces problems: FM has to arrange for meeting points, must remember their exact location, the accomplice must follow the plan precisely, be in time…
Of course, it doesn't matter how he does it for proving that he is a cheater. But knowing how these things are pulled off may help RDs to prevent cheating in the future. If only RDs would care!
Thank you, Derek.
These cheats don’t care who or how many they hurt, and let us remember the rightful winners who were harmed for nothing.
A bike is certainly possible. But I suspect it's a driver because of the phone he carries. Also, the guy is apparently only capable of running 8:30-9:00 pace when running close to all-out for those sections of the course before the chip mats. He'd have to run/walk back to where he locked the bike, which would eat up time, unlock the bike, and ride a section parallel to the course, which would all take time. Since his actual running is 2-3 minutes slower than the pace he's trying to appear to run, he doesn't seem to have that much time to waste. With a driver, he could be picked up at spots that were prearranged or called in (phone remember,) and then he'd have time to recover between bursts of his fartlek session.
ExpertKipWatcher wrote:
Agreed, but any time now, someone will assert that since you don't know the tyre pressure in his bike tyres, your entire premise is wrong.
Ha Ha. So true.
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Wyman wrote:
I didn't mean to prove that this is the way FM does it. But it can be done without someone else being in the know. Finding someone waiting for you in a car or on a scooter is even harder and more likely to fail than merely going back to the place where you locked your bicycle yourself. Relying on an accomplice introduces problems: FM has to arrange for meeting points, must remember their exact location, the accomplice must follow the plan precisely, be in time…
Of course, it doesn't matter how he does it for proving that he is a cheater. But knowing how these things are pulled off may help RDs to prevent cheating in the future. If only RDs would care!
For these point to point courses it would not be difficult to drive as close to possible to the timing mat, jump in 1/4 mile before and jump off shortly after crossing, return to your car and repeat.
This is a perfect example of the value of a random video camera or a random timing mat.
Lip Kitten wrote:
He's a wonderful guy fellas. wrote:
Found this nauseating tribute video tribute to Frank along with him claiming to be a marathon world record holder. And that was four years ago:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=871417172991515I could not watch this whole video. After Frank brags about breaking the age 66 US Record (I think this is his alleged PR set in crazy heat), the first person paying tribute actually says "Frank Meza is the real deal. He walks the walk after talking the talk."
If you hover on the "Likes" button on Frankies Tribute video, Surprise Surprise the top "like" is none other than Roderick Powell.
What say you Roderick? This was pretty buried on the Internet and from four years ago.
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Wyman wrote:
. If only RDs would care!
Well this is the biggest running forum in the world. Make it our personal collective mission to all email them with this "evidence" and links to Derek's articles, until they are persuaded to "care".
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Pik Nottil wrote:
A bike is certainly possible. But I suspect it's a driver because of the phone he carries. Also, the guy is apparently only capable of running 8:30-9:00 pace when running close to all-out for those sections of the course before the chip mats. He'd have to run/walk back to where he locked the bike, which would eat up time, unlock the bike, and ride a section parallel to the course, which would all take time. Since his actual running is 2-3 minutes slower than the pace he's trying to appear to run, he doesn't seem to have that much time to waste. With a driver, he could be picked up at spots that were prearranged or called in (phone remember,) and then he'd have time to recover between bursts of his fartlek session.
The knock against the bike theory is that Frank looks in the sort of shape that even cycling 26.2 miles and jogging some of it would serioulsy tax him. Certainly enough that he would have a considerable sweat on, with all those layers that he's wearing.
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The motivation makes no sense to me. Idk, maybe in some warped way, he's trying to inspire the kids he's coaching or something.
Recently, at the larger races, I've been noticing a lot more automatic cameras and random timing mats (not just at mile-to-mile checkpoints). I never understood why anyone would want to see poor quality video of runners in agony at random sections of a race, but it makes a lot of sense now.