I stumbled onto the MI site and LR message boards on cheaters recently and couldn’t get enough. I agree with some people that it’s interesting to delve into the psychology of why someone would do this. Especially to the extent of Meza or Litton. It reminds me a lot of flat earther who can’t or won’t admit the truth. Also, the internet and social media have both fed into and exposed a flaw in many people. Something is missing from these people’s personal lives where they feel the need to get the attention they are craving/missing by posting awkward, weird, personal, etc, things on their FB and IG. Or to flat out lie about their accomplishments. I grew up right before social media and back from day one of MySpace recognized the fakeness of it and of many people on it. Yes, I know social media is good for many things, I’m just talking here specifically about its (mis) use by some people. I wonder how this online world of almost make believe will affect the younger generations growing up with it and knowing nothing else. Will they be able to truly see the difference between what’s real online and what isn’t? Will they develop healthy real world relationships or need corrosive online attention?
Now for my very small contribution to the actual discussion of cheaters in races. How about ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.?’ I’m sure it’s been said before but how about hidden video cameras set up on the course? And it’s made known to every race entrant that there are hidden cameras. They won’t know where or how many. Wireless multi (like 12-16) camera systems are very affordable these days and I think would be a drop in the bucket in cost for the big races who are the ones that should be doing this. Of course not all races could or should do it but the big ones definitely can. And there are an almost infinite number of places a small camera can be hidden along these large race courses. Would Meza and others attempt to cheat on a course they knew there were multiple cameras on? I think it would cut down on the problem immensely. But I think races would be hesitant to do it because it doesn’t quite fit the whole feel good ethos of running and a running event to make the runners feel like they are under surveillance. The next best thing may be to use the video cameras but not announce it. There would be less of a deterrent effect but then they would have evidence when a cheating allegation is brought to their attention. Of course all 26.2 miles couldn’t be monitored but no one would know where the cameras are and with the hop on hop off type of cheats there would be a fairly good chance of getting them on video at least once. It would be much easier to prove than Derek having to turn into Sherlock Holmes and painstakingly piece together clues.
Derek, you are the subject matter expert on this. What do you think would be the best prevention for cheating?