Did Mike Rossi (viral marathon dad) cheat his way into Boston?

EZPass Mike wrote:

rexthebex wrote:

Yep, Mike did it right: two days before your goal race. Big confidence booster.

I just ran a marathon at 5:30/mile pace. So I'm hoping to run a mile on the track in under 5:45.

Still in the game!

You are forgetting that he also bragged on twitter with a photo on July 31 that he just ran a 5k in 20:47. Three months of hard training later, October 25, he bragged (with a photo) about taking first in his age group at a 5k. Showed his first place medal with pride. There's also a nice photo of him sprinting from the start which made it clear he really was going for that first place. And, after three months of hard training what was his victorious time? How much improvement had he made in three months of training after his boast of running a 20:47? An amazing, overwhelming 23:51! Interesting. He lost over 3 minutes? That's odd.

The problem is he is new to running, doesn't run very much, so he just has no idea how ridiculous his lies are. They come back to bite him every time and just provide more and more evidence that he is a cheater and a liar.

Looking forward to the next race he cheats at. Although I feel sorry for the local guys who just want to go out and do well in their local race. To have this lying, cheating, honourless, piece of sh1t come out and spoil it for those who trained and did their actual best, is just not ok. Not something that a scum like Rossi will ever understand.

Also damming was the fact that it took him more than a week to respond to requests for showing the data and then just provides a video of him navigating the app on his/someone's phone.

I'm starting to think he has some kind of new disease that won't let him complete any specific task. You ask for gps data, he provides a screenshot of the finish time. You ask him for his x-ray results, he provides a picture of the whole document cut off except a sliver. He lines up for a marathon or 5k, only does the beginning and end. You ask him to play the chicken dance, oh wait.

2015 Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k

C Newman 22:06

Rossi 22:13

2015 Haddon township Turkey Trot 5k

C Newman 21:05

Rossi 21:07

2015 Broad Street Run 10 miler

Rossi 1:20:32

C Newman 1:22:11

2015 Octoberfest 13.1

C Newman 1:42:01

Nothing but credit to Newman, not affiliated with Rossi in any way. Video at races clearly shows Newman running, and also M at Adrenaline 5k.

Point being their results indicate similar outcome although Newman is about 10 years younger. Assuming Newman's half could maintain even pace for another half he would be at 3:24:02. That assumption would defy typical outcomes but demonstrates the difference between 3:11 and 3:24 runners.

Newman must be looking over his shoulder at races now wondering if Rossi is there. Just an odd coincidence, but goes to show that times reflect fitness pretty consistently.

Newman quote from Seinfeld:

“NEWMAN:” All right! But hear me, and hear me well. The day will come–Oh, yes! Mark my words, Seinfeld! Your day of reckoning is coming when an evil wind will blow through your little play world and wipe that smug smile off your face! And I’ll be there, in all my glory, watching–watching as it all comes crumbling down! (He laughs maniacally as leaves)

Trollminator wrote:

Also damming was the fact that it took him more than a week to respond to requests for showing the data and then just provides a video of him navigating the app on his/someone's phone.

I'm starting to think he has some kind of new disease that won't let him complete any specific task. You ask for gps data, he provides a screenshot of the finish time. You ask him for his x-ray results, he provides a picture of the whole document cut off except a sliver. He lines up for a marathon or 5k, only does the beginning and end. You ask him to play the chicken dance, oh wait.

Don't forget about the pics he claims to have of him at the Via Marathon that were supposedly given to him by the Committee but were "didn't make the final US Candids cut" and he won't share those. Of course he can't because US Candids said all pics were on their website and which we sorted through to show that he wasn't in one single photo. Mike - just because you say something is real, doesn't make it so. Perhaps that was true on your Disney fantasy cruise.

Lying makes it real. Youse guys are such amateurs. Mike BELIEVES.Tis the season.

Inconvenient Truth wrote:

Mike - just because you say something is real, doesn't make it so. Perhaps that was true on your Disney fantasy cruise.

To me, this is the most damning piece of evidence why Barb McKeever is out of her depth. Did he produce pictures? If not, the fact that he lied to a race director is enough for a DQ.

Barb McKeever -- it isn't too late to DQ Rossi.

But once Rossi admits guilt, it is too late and Barb McKeever will wonder why everyone is turning on her.

Did someone call me? Oh boy! [chuckle] [chuckle]

I wonder if her and Bart are following this at all or even really aware of how big it is. If so, they should be praying he doesn't ever get caught. They'll have to deal with a $hitstorm of angry people and criticism and will have to hit that DQ button with egg on their faces. Then maybe even the BAA will do the right thing.

Trollminator wrote:

Also damming was the fact that it took him more than a week to respond to requests for showing the data and then just provides a video of him navigating the app on his/someone's phone.

I'm starting to think he has some kind of new disease that won't let him complete any specific task. You ask for gps data, he provides a screenshot of the finish time. You ask him for his x-ray results, he provides a picture of the whole document cut off except a sliver. He lines up for a marathon or 5k, only does the beginning and end. You ask him to play the chicken dance, oh wait.

This is right on. There is no reason not to share the actual run through the app; unless of course you are afraid of someone actually looking at the underlying data. All it does is create a public URL and mark that one run as public. The public version of the run has nothing disclosive about the individual (outside of their name), and even that wouldn't matter with everything the guy puts out online.

So just in case Mike is still lurking I will be clear with what is being asked for: Click the "Share" button on the run, select Twitter, and check the options to include route and pace. It is as simple as that.

FatCaliDog wrote:

I admit it, I am completely fascinated by the thread. The cheating, the denials, the tangents, they all provide an amazing view into the soul of mankind.

So true! I can't think of any other way to explain the fascination of this thread. Let's face it: as a cheat, Mike Rossi is pretty boring, definitely not in Kip Litton's league.

Litton's motivation was (and remains) mysterious. Rossi's was straightforward - "Boston Proud" struck a chord in his jingoistic head, he announced his mission to run Boston (because if he didn't, the terrorists would have won), then found out - whoops! - qualifying was going to be harder than he thought.

Litton's methods in at least some of his races were and remain mysterious. And, come on: inventing a race out of whole cloth? There's a guy with some flair. Rossi's course-cutting at LVM was yawningly basic.

It's the subsequent twists and turns and what they show about human psychology and on-line dynamics that keep me (and, I suspect, others) coming back.

If you follow her - @GOMEMRacing or the Via Cheater's Marathon - @ViaMarathon on Twitter and bring this subject up much, they will block you. They think they are beyond it all. Bart, I dunno, he's into the appeasement gig and won't do anything uncomfortable. At least to date he hasn't blocked me.But it doesn't hurt to keep the pressure on, to let them know denial is not a substitute for enabling a cheater to dishonor the Boston Marathon and denigrate an educator. Think of Barb as an average runner out to make money with her race services. Discomfort not her bag. She does need to receive some serious heat for gross incompetence on this matter.

Trollminator wrote:

I wonder if her and Bart are following this at all or even really aware of how big it is. If so, they should be praying he doesn't ever get caught. They'll have to deal with a $hitstorm of angry people and criticism and will have to hit that DQ button with egg on their faces. Then maybe even the BAA will do the right thing.

Rossi's training log the week of the Haddon Township Turkey Trot is a revelation. The errors in my training are numerous, and I'm making some changes.

The new marathon plan:

Weeks 1-17 - run @ 3 miles a day (that should keep me near the magical 120-130 miles per month average)

Week 18 (race week):

Sunday - 0

Monday - 0

Tuesday - 15 miles race pace

Wednesday - 15 miles race pace

Thursday - 0 (Tweet Song of the Day)

Friday - 20 miles race pace

Saturday - 20 miles race pace

Race Day - PR!

Stay Tuned...

I am, as you know, but a simple [DJ]...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zG_PN31YJU

Call it like it is wrote:

Newman quote from Seinfeld:

“NEWMAN:” All right! But hear me, and hear me well. The day will come–Oh, yes! Mark my words, Seinfeld! Your day of reckoning is coming when an evil wind will blow through your little play world and wipe that smug smile off your face! And I’ll be there, in all my glory, watching–watching as it all comes crumbling down! (He laughs maniacally as leaves)

Your original transmarathoner posts are my favorites in the thread and that is saying a lot since we are approaching 20K posts. You should be proud of it and own it on both here and the real world IMO.

[quote]Mickey Mouse wrote:

Did someone call me? Oh boy! [chuckle] [chuckle]

M..I..C (cut the course real soon)

K...E...Y (Why? Because you can't run the times you say)

Everybody now!

M...O...U...S...E

marafun wrote:

You can't really expect people to remember what goes on in 900 pages of mostly bickering between posters.

The overreaction to changing the subject line was a tell. I had no malicious intent changing the subject line. My first time posting, and there's a "subject" box in the response. I put in the correct subject, one that I was discussing, not an inflammatory accusation at Mike with multiple adjectives.

The overreaction DID in fact make me wonder about the level of paranoia in the posters here. Seriously?

Peace out. Stop fighting among yourselves. Lots of good work has gone on here in trying to uncover evidence and cataloguing evidence. That's where the energy should go.

Try to make this a welcoming place. Did I just say that out loud? Letsrun is a place for civilized discussion, right? Hahaha!

Well said Marafun..

Any new lurker or poster that slams Rossi is a plus. Maybe that person found out on FB and checked out the thread. Maybe that person shares that on FB.. Maybe more of Rossi's neighbors find out what a gem he is. The more people that know about Rossi the better.

So lets not slam the new post or old question or act the way Rossi describes us..Let's not fight among ourselves. I think we got Rossi backed into a corner. He will never admit he cheated at VIA or the HTT but maybe we can catch him next time....

Jackie Blue wrote:

This is right on. There is no reason not to share the actual run through the app; unless of course you are afraid of someone actually looking at the underlying data. All it does is create a public URL and mark that one run as public. The public version of the run has nothing disclosive about the individual (outside of their name), and even that wouldn't matter with everything the guy puts out online.

So just in case Mike is still lurking I will be clear with what is being asked for: Click the "Share" button on the run, select Twitter, and check the options to include route and pace. It is as simple as that.

Once the run is edited, you can't prove anything if you share it. There is no red flag that says "EDITED" to differentiate from an actual, unedited run.

theREALsmokingGunner wrote:

LMR wrote:

I'm not obsessed with Mike.

I seriously stopped reading right there.

Get a grip Ken.

Ken's obsessed with Mike, fair enough so are plenty on here, keeps the thread going and sometimes new information.

You're obsessed with Ken because he's said some nasty things about you, apart from you who gives a rats. Leave it and forget it.