LetsRun.com Needs to Come up With A Policy for Race Cheaters

Wejo,

You should post the location of this troll's IP to see if we can infer anything from it, as you did when (presumably) Mike Rossi was posting under a number of different user names on his thread.

PS - I'm not Doubler (I'm sure that Wejo can confirm that too, if he has the time) I do post under different handles but you criticizing others of doing so is like the pot calling the kettle black.

I don't know why I'm even bothering responding to a troll...

PPS - We need a policy on dealing with cheaters that's consistent. It's not fair to destroy one person (Rossi) while letting somebody else, who did pretty much the exact same thing, completely off the hook. Either remove all cheating threads or allow all of them to stay, so long as the cheating is clear-cut. If Letsrun isn't going to help out cheaters, then I second the suggestion (I think it was in the Rossi thread) that somebody should start up a site dedicated to exposing marathon cheats.

Ever heard of VPN, troll? Doubler uses it.

urpathetic = Doubler = multiple trolls nics, all posting and looking for sympathy.

The crew at the A1A Marathon got back in touch with me and will review the allegation against the female runner very rigorously. They have an additional timing mat on the course, not included in the final results tally, to specifically identify whether a runner covered the entire distance.

She already missed two mats. DQing her should be very easy.

switek wrote:

The crew at the A1A Marathon got back in touch with me and will review the allegation against the female runner very rigorously. They have an additional timing mat on the course, not included in the final results tally, to specifically identify whether a runner covered the entire distance.

Yes, if someone is going to accuse an individual by name, they should be identified as well.

No, you can't simply DQ runners for missed mat times. Mats, and their times, are not 100% accurate.

Shadow of an RD wrote:

No, you can't simply DQ runners for missed mat times. Mats, and their times, are not 100% accurate.

There is no doubt in my mind that she cut the course. Anyone who looks at the entire situation would reach that conclusion.

You need more than an self-decided "conclusion"to DQ someone. That is how RDing works. You should become an RD to see how the real running world works. And, to become familiar with legal requirements and limitations, and the cost of insurance when having a run.

Shadow of an RD wrote:

No, you can't simply DQ runners for missed mat times. Mats, and their times, are not 100% accurate.

Agreed. Missing split times alone may not be reason to DQ. You gotta look at the photos, the race course, the person's race history and witnesses if any.

Everything in this case checks out. She cheated and now she's denying it. I hope the RD acts quickly to DQ, and I'm certain they will and that will be the end of it.

Shadow of an RD wrote:

No, you can't simply DQ runners for missed mat times. Mats, and their times, are not 100% accurate.

When someone runs 11 miles in 22 minutes that is fairly conclusive.

Glad to hear that they are looking into it seriously.

I may start a blog, at first. Unless someone else wants to run with it.

We could use reddit..but I pretty much despise reddit.

And there's no reason to justify the trolls. No one is taking them seriously. The Brojos don't have time to look up everyone's IP address.

Doubler wrote:

Glad to hear that they are looking into it seriously.

I may start a blog, at first. Unless someone else wants to run with it.

We could use reddit..but I pretty much despise reddit.

And there's no reason to justify the trolls. No one is taking them seriously. The Brojos don't have time to look up everyone's IP address.

How hard would it be to create a website where all cases can be discussed? Also what are the legal ramifications, like can you be sued as the owner of the site based on what posters write on the LetsCatchCheaters site?

Wouldn't be to hard to create a basic site. A blog would be easiest to get up quickly.

I've setup sites using templates for retail in the past. Just need to find a template that is conducive to this purpose.

I can get a blog running. If we keep it to facts, I don't see any issues.

It would be cool if we basically had a site runners knew about where they can question any race results that look phishy. I feel like there are hundreds of BQs that are obtained by cheating. Think of all the hard earn spots that can be saved.

The key is getting the "word out" over time so that blog becomes the place people contact to discuss cheating.

I can get a very basic blog up within the next couple days and will look into getting a full blown site up in the near future.

a blog would serve the purpose pretty well..at least we'll be able to have users comment without worrying about legitimate stuff getting pulled down.

NotABQer wrote:

Yes, if someone is going to accuse an individual by name, they should be identified as well.

Not sure that I agree. I prefer the WikiLeaks model, where the accuser can maintain their anonymity. On one hand, I can see your point that it will ensure that people are certain that the runner cheated before outing them publicly. On the other hand, putting your name out there could imperil yourself, even though you may be correct about the runner being a cheater. Look at the "frivous" lawsuit against the Brojos by a certain runner who can't be named. The lawsuit had zero chance of winning, but I'm sure that it was still a pain in the a$$ to resolve for them and possibly cost money in legal fees. The worst-case scenario would be if somebody who you accused were to kill themselves due to being outed and their family tried to come after you for cyber-bullying. Would they have a case? I doubt it, but you never know with our legal system.

Then there's also the chance that the perpetrator may decide to harass you online, dig up any dirt that you may have, try to get you fired from your employer, tell your spouse that you cheated on her... etc. I'd rather not make myself into a target. Some of these cheaters seem to have a screw or two loose... I think that the Brojos make less of a target, legally, as they only host the site but don't necessarily need to comment on any cheater threads. I don't think that you can be held accountable legally for messages posted on your message board from people who aren't affiliated with your site - at least that's my understanding (not a lawyer).

maybe maybe not wrote:

On one hand, I can see your point that it will ensure that people are certain that the runner cheated before outing them publicly. On the other hand, putting your name out there could imperil yourself, even though you may be correct about the runner being a cheater.

Names of accusers need to be put out their as well as the name of the accused. "Even though you MAY be correct" is not good enough. You better be damned certain you are right. It is your responsibility to prove yourself, not someone who is responsible for the race you are worried about.

Very rough so far. But this can be a way to keep names out of letsrun. And you can be sure that we won't lose research if it;s posted there.

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If you feel uncomfortable with these threads, why not create a spin-off Wiki? These types of internet crowd-researches are frequently done wiki-style.

Obviously not all RDs are into quality control, such a wiki could be a place where each week race results get "imported" and combed-through...