RE: Cheating at Marathons

These Guinness records always state most marathons "run" and clearly the Moayedi's of this world don't run them and not even over the correct marathon distance.

Does anyone know if there are allowances for certain amount of time spent walking, courses have to be certified, independent witnesses (i.e. not husband), etc, etc.

Are there in fact any rules?

Unlike Moayedi, Amy and the people running with/helping her actually look like runners:

https://twitter.com/53Marathons

Rules? wrote:

These Guinness records always state most marathons "run" and clearly the Moayedi's of this world don't run them and not even over the correct marathon distance.

Does anyone know if there are allowances for certain amount of time spent walking, courses have to be certified, independent witnesses (i.e. not husband), etc, etc.

Are there in fact any rules?

What Makes A World Record

Guinness World Records documents and records the world's record-breaking achievements.

World records are a serious business and to ensure we maintain the high standards we have strict policies governing what makes a world record.

What is a world record?

Guinness World Records only recognises WORLD records. We do not recognise national or country specific achievements. All Guinness World Records must also fulfil some key criteria including:

Measurable (all records must be defined as the fastest, longest, tallest, shortest, largest, heaviest, oldest or most)

Based on a single variable (we would only recognise the fastest carORthe longest journey - but never the longest journey in the fastest car)

Verifiable (can you prove it?)

Breakable (all our records must be open to being challenged by a greater achievement)

Beyond that, the world of record-breaking is wonderfully diverse and as broad as your imagination.

What is not a world record?

If you can't take a tape-measure to it, weigh it or count it - then it's probably not a record!

We do not accept applications based on subjective measures such as beauty, kindness or loyalty.

Other activities that are not records include those which are not sufficiently challenging, those which are too specific to a single person or anything that is unbreakable.

Guinness World Records does not endorse unsuitable activities or those which could cause potential harm or endanger animals or spectators.

We do not permit people under the age of 16 to attempt or hold records which are considered unsuitable for minors. In these instances Guinness World Records works in association with the official regulatory body for the particular skill or sport.

Wow this thread got almost 2k responses in a little under 4 months. I'd read it but am much to uninterested.

Summary:

Let's look at some FACTS

1. DQd from RR100 after allegations and questions regarding splits were raised.

2. PM did not run the entire marathon on June 14th, for which an official chip time was entered. Instead, we are being told she ran it on some other day and just recorded the run for that day. This has not been disputed and to date, no explanation given as to why this inaccurate entry was made to the official results.

3. No less than 3 ACTUAL BADWATER participants from this years race have alleged that PM did not pass them on key points of the course.

4. No less than 2 ACTUAL BADWATER participants from this years race have alleged that PM left or traveled down the course in her crew vehicle.

5. At least 1 ACTUAL BADWATER participant from this years race have alleged they confronted PM about their concern she passed them unnoticed by them or their crew

Can Amy rock two marathons in one day and land them exactly on the same time?!?!

#lucky5:15

I Ran Marathons Double Devil 6666 Harker 4/20/2013 5:15:00

I Ran Marathons TGIF April Double 4/20/2013 5:15:00

1. DQ'd from RR 100

2. References to eyewitnesses regarding Wild Hare and Cactus Rose course cutting

3. Multiple Eyewitness accounts of Badwater cheating

4. Multiple Marathons in Multiple states at the same time with Larry Macon.

5. Something about a three-some, someone holding the rank of "Doctor Captain Commander", and calls to spy

6. Weird incoherent posts from some apologists

SomeBlokeFromTheInternetz wrote:

*bump*

PM IS A FAT CHEATER

What are you trying to say?

Whatever your opinion of the Marathon Maniac organization, at least they take complaints of cheating seriously. PM's former Marathon Maniac # (6666) no longer exists. She has been removed from roles. Note #s now go from 6665 to 6667.

She is amazing, she did 3 marathons in 3 days with a broken arm (just 2 days old) in a sling. AND got progressively faster. If you have ever broken your arm (and yes there are all kinds of breaks) then you will know the throbbing agonizing pain associated with that and that people generally do not jostle the arm for awhile. But not Superwoman. Her life story parallels Zamperini in Unbroken. The stats and the claims:

2012 Day of Dead Marathons Another 3 mile out and back course

Day 1 Not in Results

Day 2 6:36:54 Oct 30 2012

Day 3 7:09:04 Oct 31 2012

Day 4 6:24:04 Nov. 1 2012

PM Facebook 9.22.14:

Starting the Fall season with 120+ marathons and ultras for the year so far and at least another 50 or so remaining for 2014. I enjoyed running the Mainly Maniac CONs series of 5 marathons in 5 days for 2nd year and visiting running friends and family reunion. I have been running Clint's series since he started with Day of Dead in 2012. It was just 2 days after breaking my arm at a trail run, when I arrived Las Cruces and walked 3 marathons in a slink. I drove another 900 miles with in the same week to run another 50K trail race in Huntsville. Thank you my friend Chavet Breslin Marit Janse Kevin Brosi Paul Fournier Larry Macon Pamela L Penfield for making this such a fun and great experience by running and traveling with me. — with Shelly Jones-mack and 17 others.

OK. What does all that have to do with being un-maniaced? Obviously there is some malfeasance somewhere. Many runners go through injuries, especially en-route to attempting to attain records, that don't cheat to do it. One example is Morgan Cummings, who, for a short time, set the record for the youngest female finisher of a marathon in each state, toward the end, while in a cast from a stress fracture. In a act of altruism and sportsmanship, she coordinated with the follow-on youngest would be female finisher so they could both hold the record for a time.

Marathoner 123 wrote:

Whatever your opinion of the Marathon Maniac organization, at least they take complaints of cheating seriously. PM's former Marathon Maniac # (6666) no longer exists. She has been removed from roles. Note #s now go from 6665 to 6667.

I don't get this, do they give special numbers like #6666 to people who do special things, but she's no longer considered special because she cheats, so they've withdrawn the special number. They still accept her cos she just did the 5 day thing, then again I suppose her money is as good as anyone's.

MM wrote:

They still accept her cos she just did the 5 day thing, then again I suppose her money is as good as anyone's.

that was mainly marathons not marathon maniacs

gets confusing I know with all these sham series like iranmarathons etc etc and going for dud records

cant keep up

Who knows, regarding the number assignment and subsequent withdrawal. People over the years have been awarded and uncovered: Lance Armstrong, Rosie Ruiz and many others. The important thing is someone cares enough about the cheating to do something. If Guinness just lets her records slide they are a less than credible organization IMO.

Marathoner 123 wrote:

OK. What does all that have to do with being un-maniaced? Obviously there is some malfeasance somewhere. Many runners go through injuries, especially en-route to attempting to attain records, that don't cheat to do it. One example is Morgan Cummings, who, for a short time, set the record for the youngest female finisher of a marathon in each state, toward the end, while in a cast from a stress fracture. In a act of altruism and sportsmanship, she coordinated with the follow-on youngest would be female finisher so they could both hold the record for a time.

it has nothing to do with being un-maniaced

it just has to do with hitting reply to add to the thread

Hey, she FINISHED the Toughest Race in the World.

She finished via a ride in a minivan....

More and more time goes by and it looks less and less likely she'll be DQ'ed from Badwater. I hope people will wake up and see this race is a joke, but in reality there will still probably be high demand next year.

It also seems to me VERY unlikely she'll be removed from GWR. But their world records are novelty anyhow. Who cares about things like The Worlds Largest Drum Set or the Heaviest Competing Sportwoman? Seriously, getting worked up over Guinness Records is as silly as the records.

Things that have come from around since this thread started, maybe because of this thread:

1. Hopefully tarnished reputation for her and her iranraces. I'm sure she'll lose at least a few of her regular suckers.

2. DQ'ed from Rocky Raccoon 2013, hopefully banned from Tejas Trails events. I'd love a formal statement from the race director. I'm likely to run RR100 in January and will be tempted to ask him if I ever get a chance. Apparently her other races from the Tejas Trails events will stand in spite of probable cheating: WIld Hare and prior Rocky Raccoon.

3. Removed from Marathon Maniacs. We're left to assume it's due to her cheating; I can understand why they wouldn't publicize their reasons.

4. Hopefully her reputation will proceed her at bigger events and other RDs who aren't her buddies will scrutinize her results. I wonder how many big events she'll run from here forward.

er Precede, no proceed.