I was in Detroit on Sunday morning and witnessed something very suspect in the Detroit Free Press Marathon. During the middle of the race, the course loops out on Detroit's Belle Isle. The race has been pretty much broken open at this point (the start of the island was at rougly 12mi and the runners hit 19 just before leaving). There were two kenyans running together followed by another kenyan about 200yds back. Then it was Mike Dudley followed by Fred Kaiser and another 200yds back was this mexican looking guy. This was the situation at 12 miles and also at roughly 15.
Then something weird happened. Coming off the island, this Kent Hollingworth guy (a canadian master runner) was suddenly WAY out in front of both Dudley and Kaiser. Kaiser eventually passes the dude, but Hollingsworth holds on for third and collects a couple thouseand bucks for third and first master.
I watched him finish and you would've thought he'd just won the Olympics. The announcer inside Ford Field was going crazy at this guys (I'd never heard of before) unbelievable run!
My theory is this. There was an "inside loop" out on Belled Isle that was probably at least a mile long. I think this Kent Hollingsworth guy either by mistake or on-purpose ran right by the inside loop and cut out a significant secion of the course (maybe 5-7 minutes worth). If this happended, I blame the marathon organizers for not haveing officials/marshalls at this turn AND I blame Hollingsworth. Even if he did this by accident, he would have known that went from 20th to 3rd without ever passing 19th thru 4th! Not to mention his splits which wouldn't make any sense.
Kent Hollingsworth: Come clean and admit you cut the course in Detroit.