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

Can someone put together a nice graph to show how much of an outlier the race result was, given the other performances? Or maybe send the data to the team at the 'FiveThirtyEight' blog at ESPN to crunch the numbers- maybe kids will learn something about statistical inference, among other things

I've looked into the Philly Rock and Roll 1/2 time more and it is highly, highly dubious.

A quick search of the 5 guys who finished ahead of Rossi and the 3 who finished behind him reveals that none of them missed the 10-mile mat. How odd. It also shows that all of the other guys who ran a 2:20 half were running 10-11 minute/miles from the gun-- pretty much what you'd expect, as opposed to Rossi's insane pacing.

The picture evidence is not as conclusive. Rossi has in fact, more photos than many of the guys he finished with. (He has more than 3-- I made a mistake in my previous post.) However, he doesn't have them in the same spots. I don't know the course well enough to say where he does have them, though. Maybe someone can take a stab at that:

http://www.marathonfoto.com/Proofs?PIN=60V863&LastName=ROSSI

If you want to go even further down the rabbit hole, here are Rossi's pics from his 5k PR the previous day:

http://www.marathonfoto.com/Catalog/List/180511691?PIN=61C204&LastName=ROSSI

There is a picture of him just flat-out walking, but that might be at the start line or after the finish.

sleuth dawg wrote:

Can someone put together a nice graph to show how much of an outlier the race result was, given the other performances? Or maybe send the data to the team at the 'FiveThirtyEight' blog at ESPN to crunch the numbers- maybe kids will learn something about statistical inference, among other things

So you're saying there's a chance!

seekingbostonmarathon wrote:

I hang myself out there as a blogger with all my run details, but nothing like this guy. Just watched his YouTube video and I'm not getting it. The video makes it sound like he WON the Boston Marathon, or crawled out of a hospital bed to run the marathon (that's my story, but I didn't post some sappy video about merely running the Boston Marathon.) Story sounds fishy on the Lehigh qualifier. The principle took hell for the letter which turned out to be a template letter sent out (at least that's what I've heard,) not the personal attack on his endeavor or kids. Loving this story that won't die.

Why'd you take down your post? Did his lawyer email you?

113 wrote:

I've looked into the Philly Rock and Roll 1/2 time more and it is highly, highly dubious.

Now, we're getting there.

Anyone who can look into his high school exit examination?

I heard he paid to get his driver's licence.

He's not even sweating in his finish line photos!

HeCheated wrote:

Someone could have a photo of someone finishing a relay leg and he could be in the background (not running a marathon). Mike should be very nervous about that.

Might be a long shot, but that would definitely be a smoking gun.

As a runner in my mid 40s with PRs better than his (albeit not much better) at 5K, 10M, and 13.1K, I am glad this douche is being outed. I would say my marathon PR is better, but I could not run a 3:11. Guess what my marathon PR is? 3:39.12. No way in hell he could even run a 3:30 marathon. Not even in that wind tunnel Ryan Hall PR'd at Boston.

pathfinder wrote:

Ev man wrote:

You're the one with the stone-thrower's hard-on here.

you we're so excited to be on top of the pack bringing this guy down, so excited about finding a new way to make him look bad, you didn't give a Fock about who else got damaged along the way. Even little kids.

Asshat.

Right. Never again will talk about cheating because, you know, kids and stuff. I wonder if he thought about his kids before he "ran" 3:11.

Actions have consequences--including those not foreseen.

You are the one making the choice about what the consequences are. They are not foreordained.

And if your idea is that the consequences of an adult cheating should be ruining a kid's life - you are a cheap piece of shit.

Or if you believe in what you are doing, why hide behind the anonymous username?

All of my PR's are better than his by a couple of minutes... I am not very fast but I would be very deep in the hurt locker to run a 3:11.. I just ran a 1:33 half and there is not way I would pull off a 3:11. Definitely a cheater no doubt with those PR's. This kind of stuff is very irritating.

I don't think he should lose his job or his family should have to deal with it, and definitely there shouldn't be any threats or harassment.

So don't contribute to the hive environment that makes those things happen. Otherwise you are a hypocrite paying lip service to values you don't live.

You know who gives runners a bad name? Not Mike Rossi. It's people like you who are so worried about whether someone cheated that you will ruin lives.

I agree totally with you Ev man.

But let's just stop talking about the cheater's family. It serves no one except the cheater.

Found another race result on marathonguide.

Name Overall ChipTime GunTime

Mike Rossi 2 3:12:16 3:12:18

2nd Overall, not bad

http://www.marathonguide.com/races/racedetails.cfm?MIDD=3777100703

And what will you learn?

Not much as you clearly don't understand the concept of "responsibility." Or you wouldn't remain anonymous.

So why do you refuse any responsibility for yours? Pot, meet kettle. You are just like Rossi.

how do you infer that anyone is worried? A cheat is simply exposed. Stop attaching emotions to what is simply fact. I agree, leave the family out of it.

Ev man wrote:

I don't think he should lose his job or his family should have to deal with it, and definitely there shouldn't be any threats or harassment.

So don't contribute to the hive environment that makes those things happen. Otherwise you are a hypocrite paying lip service to values you don't live.

You know who gives runners a bad name? Not Mike Rossi. It's people like you who are so worried about whether someone cheated that you will ruin lives.

Scoot wrote:

Found another race result on marathonguide.

Name Overall ChipTime GunTime

Mike Rossi 2 3:12:16 3:12:18

2nd Overall, not bad

http://www.marathonguide.com/races/racedetails.cfm?MIDD=3777100703

*wild applause*

You win. I award you one internet.