scotth wrote:
ouch1000 - helluva post buddy! In February I suggested he come clean - not so much to help future race directors but to somewhat minimize/mitigate the fallout that was sure to follow the story I planned to write at the time. He never responded, choosing to continue living a lie. I doubt he'll ever 'own up to what he's done' or explain why he did what he did.
Yeah - you're absolutely right. I know it's a pipe dream that he will realize the three points that follow.
1 - The sooner he comes clean and talks to the writer, the faster the running community will let this pass from the forefront of its consciouness,
2 - if he doesn't admit what he did to the reporter, it will continue to get worse for a very long time, and
3 - he really has a lot to offer the race organizer community that no-one else can - key information on how to get around the cheating safeguards; the incidence of cheating is far more widespread than most of us realize, according to directors of large races.
I offer this all up, of course, in hopes that Kip will read it, inwardly reflect and decide to speak in person to the guy writing the story.
I realize it's a long-shot, but stranger things have happened.
To Hacer Trampa: you're right as well - Clarkston Kent is not writing the article. A writer from a major national publication (2009 circulation was more than 1M) is in charge, and he has interviewed a wide range of people for the story, including CK, me, others who have submitted stuff to this thread and the original one from last year, race directors from a wide range of races, and lots of people he has mentioned to me but whom I don't know. I exchanged e-mails with him last week, and he is still uncovering interesting twists. I don't know for sure how much more info he needs, but from a paragraph he sent me, it looks like it is coming together. Although I don't think it is necessary, I know it would be worth Kip's time to have a face-to-face with the reporter, as I believe he is eminently fair and unbiased. He has never posted on the LR thread, he has made a strong, good-faith effort to get Kip to talk to him, and from other investigative articles of his I've read, he will report what Kip says.
Of course you are also right that Kip will likely never come out. I will remain hopeful, however, to the end, especially because those who have supported him maintain so stridently that he is really a good guy. If this is true, and beside his running dishonesty there exists a parallel thread of moral fiber, he may find some redemption and relief in the truth. Of course he may also admit what he's done purely for expediency.