Ok CoachKev - that was big of you to report back here again. Cutting to the chase, just because you believe in something doesn't mean it's true. You understand they are two different things don't you? If you read through the thread carefully, you'll see that a lot of people, including myself, do not think he CAN'T run ultras or isn't capable of running across the USA. What we have been saying, and what turned out to be statistically and forensically factual, is that Robert did not run/walk every step he claimed to have. Asher's video was not proof, it merely caused people to start digging. And when people looked at his incredible claims, his supposed PBs, a whole bunch of damming inconsistencies with the first half of his x-country effort, and then the complete collapse of RY once boots were on the ground watching... all that put together is conclusive evidence that he's a fraud.
Now I get that even frauds will continue to have friends, and you should by all means continue to support him. But please cut the crap that you believe the guy is honest. What you meant to say is that YOU WANT TO BELIEVE he's innocent and you are just sticking to your word because you are stubborn and averse to facts and logic, but you know he's dishonest. Conveniently for you, ignorance is bliss. My advice to you, as his friend and ardent supporter, is to have a heart to heart conversationand give him some advice. This is a great opportunity for him to start over. He's been exposed, and this will stay with him forever, which is why it is extremely important for him to have closure. He needs closure badly in order to start fresh and put this behind him, but first he needs to admit to himself and those around him that he cheated. Be a good friend and do what's difficult, tell your friend to come clean for his own sake.
When Asher first reported, you came here fiercely defending Rob, but only on the basis of having met him and run with him. That, on its own, could never clear him of being a cheater. People initially found the Ahser video amusing and only really started scrutinizing his performance when we heard about his incredible claim of running 3 consecutively faster marathons in less than two days, after having been an overweight couch potato for many years. Now if you know anything about running, that should have been an immediate red flag.
I don't blame you for believing him if you didn't know about his plast claims. But now you have no excuse, you've seen all the impossible claims and you have seen what has transpired in this last circus act. You said yourself you'd be open to looking at the facts. Now you've seen them. He could not have run those 3 marathons as fast as he claims, he was not a pro triathlete, he could not have flown across the burning desert like he claimed, he could not have covered all those miles based on his caliber as runner.... So you are just in complete denial if you still want to believe him. Would you trust some of the most experienced and well-known ultra runners in the world? Well, they were there and noted Rob is a good runner and has balls, but that he's not porefessional material. He also coincidentally fell apart when he was running more than 25% less daily than he was just before being watched. How could you reconcile that with his claims? All you can say is that you simply believe.
I can hold 5:30 pace for at least 4 miles, and can coast for 20 miles at 6:00 pace. I'm being serious, it's actually a fact. So if you ran with me you'd probably believe I was also Jesus or the next Forrest Gump. What I am trying to say, rather nicely, is that you are pretty naive to believe in something with such fierce conviction purely based on a few minutes of running with someone and how nice they are. I feel sorry for you.