Course cutter at CIM? ... UPDATE: RD Says Likely Timing Error

darkwave wrote:

Does anyone know if he's claimed anywhere that he finished? Or seen any pictures with him and his medal?

It could simply be that he went out too fast, dropped out after halfway, then hitched a ride to the finish. When he got there, he walked too close to the finish line on the other side of the barriers and got picked up by the finish mat. I can see that one happening.

Finish line pictures will tell the story.

I agree. That's probably the case here. (he clocked 3:31:56 last year @ CIM)

Or he intentionally stood next to the finishing line mat.

The number of sympathizers (or most likely, one sympathizer) on this thread is amazing.

Anyone that slow who has a GoFundMe campaign with "Olympic dreams" is exactly the kind of person who would intentionally try to cheat then claim innocence if caught.

He has no race photos. Did he run any part of the race?

Admittedly a little odd. But if you look at some of the photo sets it's possible they were all taken in the second half of the race, after he dropped out?

Obvious Cheater wrote:

He has no race photos. Did he run any part of the race?

He's still listed in the results, right? Until he is removed shouldn't this thread stay alive?

Er... wrote:

Admittedly a little odd. But if you look at some of the photo sets it's possible they were all taken in the second half of the race, after he dropped out?

Obvious Cheater wrote:

He has no race photos. Did he run any part of the race?

Right. Then an undetermined race shuttle, which historically waits for more than one runner to drop out, whisks him to the finishing line.

Maybe a flying unicorn picked him up. Has anyone considered that maybe a flying unicorn picked him up and took him to the finish line so quickly?

Mods, delete this thread. Flying frickin' unicorn.

Obvious Cheater wrote:

Or he intentionally stood next to the finishing line mat.

The number of sympathizers (or most likely, one sympathizer) on this thread is amazing.

Anyone that slow who has a GoFundMe campaign with "Olympic dreams" is exactly the kind of person who would intentionally try to cheat then claim innocence if caught.

He has no race photos. Did he run any part of the race?

This smells pretty fishy. There are innocent explanations, but until he requests that his name be removed from the results, I think he's fair game for scrutiny.

feldman wrote:

reed wrote:

My guess is that Rick DNFed and just walked too close to the timing mats at the finish. My teammate actually had that exact thing happen to him at CIM this year. He notified the race organizers and his time was removed before the end of the day

Did your teammate take an official shuttle back to the finish? If that's the case it seems weird that they'd take them that close to the line for that to occur. I know at TCM for instance you're not allowed by security within the finish area if you drop and take transport back. A volunteer has to go into the fenced area to retrieve your bag.

The spectating area around the finish line is pretty wide open. The fence goes pretty much next to the line. You can accidentally trigger your bib at the line without going on the course itself.

Er... wrote:

Admittedly a little odd. But if you look at some of the photo sets it's possible they were all taken in the second half of the race, after he dropped out?

I'm pretty sure all of my photos are from the second half.

(and in response to jjiip's much earlier unrelated question - yup, still in DC area. Just splurged on the trip west because I've always wanted to run this one)

Probably had to take something else back... I know at boston I've heard you'd have to wait around for the last runner to pass to take the bus back to the finish. Does CIM have a relay? Maybe he got back on one of those buses.

all of my photos are from the second half of the race as well.the only way to cheat this course is stop and get driven or bike further down. and that would be hard to hop in without being seen somewhere

darkwave wrote:

Er... wrote:

Admittedly a little odd. But if you look at some of the photo sets it's possible they were all taken in the second half of the race, after he dropped out?

I'm pretty sure all of my photos are from the second half.

(and in response to jjiip's much earlier unrelated question - yup, still in DC area. Just splurged on the trip west because I've always wanted to run this one)

If you choose to DNF, there are a few options to get back to the finish. My buddy just took one of the relay busses because they got back way faster (by hours). The relay busses don't have the ability to record DNFs and they probably shouldn't have tasked my buddy, but he put in the effort to notify officials and it was fixed.

It's clear by looking at photos of other runners around 2:25 that this guy did not cheat.

I ran CIM last weekend and went through the half at 1:13:21...I would have finished just behind him him...i didn't see anyone from mile 13-21miles come by me...going anywhere near that fast.

I can't even remember 1 guy for those 7 miles we were running 5:30s.....there was a group of 3 of us...till 21 miles and I started to fade to 2:28:51...

I vaguely remember seeing 4 runners max pass me in the final 3-4 miles and I could see most of them all the way to the finish.

Had someone run this fast by me...I would have noticed :) finish photos should be up?

Sam k

elephino wrote:

Obvious Cheater wrote:

Or he intentionally stood next to the finishing line mat.

The number of sympathizers (or most likely, one sympathizer) on this thread is amazing.

Anyone that slow who has a GoFundMe campaign with "Olympic dreams" is exactly the kind of person who would intentionally try to cheat then claim innocence if caught.

He has no race photos. Did he run any part of the race?

This smells pretty fishy. There are innocent explanations, but until he requests that his name be removed from the results, I think he's fair game for scrutiny.

But at this point you can just email the race director to clear this up. No one is benefiting anything from leaving this thread up, except maybe some smug armchair detectives get to feel superior for calling out a guy that most likely had a rough day. Get over the high and mighty act.

I went through the 20 miler at 1:51:57...and slowed to around 6 pace ...the final 4-5 miles...he would have had to come by like a motorcycle:)

I've no dog in this race but I hate to see an innocent person stigmatized for no wrong or maybe just carelessness.

If you look at the people who split roughly the same as the runner in question at the half--so finishing roughly 2:54-2:56--they're pretty strung out in their photos so it does look like all the photos only came from the second half.

By the half our guy had gone from running 6:23 at 10k to what, 7:00+ and maybe had determined that it wasn't his day? So he drops out, rides a bus to the finish (there is a relay) and walks too close to the finish mat.

I don't know the area at all but I think we have to recognize that someone of Dr. Litton's ingenuity is a rare bird indeed. I think it's highly unlikely someone is going to run the half, hop in a car or on a bike, then veer close to the finish line to record a time that he would know was impossible given his half split.

I vote accident.

Nobody thinks this is a possibility. Don't be ridiculous.

Kriegblitz wrote:

I went through the 20 miler at 1:51:57...and slowed to around 6 pace ...the final 4-5 miles...he would have had to come by like a motorcycle:)

David S. Pumpkins wrote:

elephino wrote:

This smells pretty fishy. There are innocent explanations, but until he requests that his name be removed from the results, I think he's fair game for scrutiny.

But at this point you can just email the race director to clear this up. No one is benefiting anything from leaving this thread up, except maybe some smug armchair detectives get to feel superior for calling out a guy that most likely had a rough day. Get over the high and mighty act.

I don't totally disagree. But it's a public sporting event. If Draymond Green kicks somebody during a game, it's not unethical to say it looked like he did that on purpose. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

Hopefully this guy will find out his result is still there and will ask to get it removed, but the published results of a public sporting event show that a guy ran a world record half marathon in the 2nd half of this race. That's newsworthy.

David S. Pumpkins wrote:

But at this point you can just email the race director to clear this up. No one is benefiting anything from leaving this thread up, except maybe some smug armchair detectives get to feel superior for calling out a guy that most likely had a rough day. Get over the high and mighty act.

I agree, but, speculating on cheating is a huge (unfortunate) part of this message board. Look at the current thread that actually has in it's title that a recent race winner is a possible doper. Zero evidence exists of doping, pure speculation, but that thread is still there. Allegations of doping are more serious than course cutting.

Should all speculative cheating/doping threads be removed?

Obvious Cheater wrote:

Or he intentionally stood next to the finishing line mat.

The number of sympathizers (or most likely, one sympathizer) on this thread is amazing.

Anyone that slow who has a GoFundMe campaign with "Olympic dreams" is exactly the kind of person who would intentionally try to cheat then claim innocence if caught.

He has no race photos. Did he run any part of the race?

I was just about to post this. We know he didn't cheat in the usual way, but that doesn't mean he didn't cheat, and that GoFundMe post is awfully reminiscent of other cheaters. Doesn't prove anything by itself, but let's not give up the hunt just because he isn't in a picture.