Sneaking a pacer on Boston?

Practically speaking, if you very discretely step in midrace and run a few miles with the guy it's very unlikely that security or anyone else is going to notice, care or remove you from the race, etc. This is especially true if you're dressed in such a way that perhaps your "race bib" is inadvertently covered, or it's on a jacket that's tied around your waist, etc.

Crossing the start or finish line would be a different story.

If discovered, you could potentially get tackled by an overzealous police officer or security and removed from the course (obviously security is tight because... Boston). I think technically you could also be arrested and receive an appearance ticket. However, the more you look like you belong and the more discrete you are entering the course the less likely there will be any issues whatsoever.

If caught, your buddy could be DQ'd for accepting outside help. I'm also not really sure how Marathon Investigation would feel about your diabolical plot to help your cancer patient running friend in a time of need.

Your first incorrect assumption is that the race didn’t fill. Your second incorrect assumption is that they would ignore all past rules and allow a hobby jogger like you a free pass to register late. You seem like a regular Boston marathoner: someone entitled to certain privileges simply because you sorta run sometimes. So you just might fit in. Bandits are a thing of the past. There’s plenty of people to pace from at Boston. No one- your friend, B.A.A. or otherwise needs you to run. It’s just incredibly unethical at Boston.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Yeah I am definitely not worrying about planning on running though the start or the finish, as that would be a huge red flag.

I guess my question for someone, is how rigid is the security for me to get onto the course? not looking to make someone an accomplice here, just don't know how strict they are.

Considering how crowded the course is I think you would be really taking a gamble that nobody notices you step on the course and start running. Odds are pretty good that one of these witnesses would call you out on it and maybe even alert the authorities. Can you support your friend in other ways? It's not like he'll be running alone.

Wrong.

He wants to be with a friend in a time when his friend needs him most.
And you think "Boston" is some sacred race?
Just wrong.

I agree that it is risky and probably not worth the risk. I am just trying to think of ways to help him out, as of right now he isn't even sure he is going to go out to Boston to even try, and I don't want him to miss out on this.

I'm not sure your friend should be running a marathon if they are still getting chemo.

You can sneak on to the course pretty early on if you want. I would create a fake bib too and then no one will look at you again.

LMAO at people thinking you'll get caught doing this or thinking it's unethical. I've run across a few big city marathon courses just to cross the street, in street clothes, and traveled ~100m upstream just to stay out of runners' ways, and no one bats an eye. As for unethical? Charging as much as they do is unethical. I say, bandit every race just to spite the people that think it's morally reprehensible.

The course has been really gated off after the bombing in 2013. Barriers on both sides of the road with police officers the whole length of the course. I wouldn't try it.

Yeah I was wondering about creating a fake bib, but also know LetsRun loves to blast people who do that, lol. I remember a couple doing that for the NYC marathon and got blasted pretty hard online. I am thinking about booking a flight, go over there with him and just seeing if it works out or not.

It would be naive to think Derek and the B.A.A., and possibly the FBI, don’t scour these boards. Run at your own risk.

HELLO DEREK, B.A.A, AND THE FBI. I WILL LIKELY BE BANDITTING THE BOSTON MARATHON AT SOME FUTURE DATE. NOT THIS YEAR. YOU CAN PROBABLY USE MY COMMENT HISTORY TO FIND MY WORLD ATHLETICS PROFILE AND GO FROM THERE.

I'd go with him and just meet at various points along the course and cheer your head off. Your presence and support would be much appreciated.

Although you'd very likely be able to find locations to slip onto the course, you are potentially risking negative consequences for yourself and your buddy. It's probably an extreme scenario, but you could risk getting your buddy DQ'd, and could face criminal charges, or a ban from entry into the race (not sure that really matters to you).

Tough call on a fake bib. A fake bib might help you fit in easier, but it could also up your culpability if you get caught. Without a fake bib, you could play dumb and say you jumped in to help your friend with cancer and that you had no absolutely no idea that what you were doing was wrong. These are public streets, what's a bandit? Getting caught with a fake bib changes things. Now you're committing fraud. I have no idea about whether security or race officials would try to verify an authentic looking fake bib.

If photographic evidence happened to be uncovered, I think the weirdo at Marathon Investigation would gleefully bring attention to you and your friend regardless of your intentions.

There's all kinds of security, including plainclothes undercover officers, because of what happened in 2013. Security is much much greater at certain points (start/finish/large crowd areas). The race environment is fairly chaotic. Does security really have time to deal with discrete bandits? Probably not, but is it worth the risk?

Banditing used to be a tradition for some at Boston. Unfortunately, 2013 changed things.

OK, I am learning, I didn't know banditing was a term! Yeah I am thinking about traveling down, meeting him at a few spots, and if I just happen to get carried away in a pack for a little of the course, then so be it.

I'm in the camp that says fly out there, cheer him on along the race, cheer him on at the finish, and take him out for a beer/dinner/wine/dessert or whatever else he wants after the race to celebrate. But I wouldn't bandit Boston. Not after 2013.

Idea: Run a qualifying time sometime this year and run with the goal of running with him at Boston in 2023 to celebrate him having beat cancer for a year (God willing).

Agreed that is probably the best idea, I already have a qualifying time done this year, so we will see.

You didn't qualify, you didn't pay your registration fee, you don't belong on the course.

Yeah I didn't realize this used to be a "thing" at Boston. I don't know if anyone that has done it the past few years has lived to tell about it here?