Frank Meza 2:53:10 at LA Marathon (70 years old) unofficial time (just finished)

...and as I said the 'maths' is not necessary, but here are some examples: (these are assuming he ran all the way)

15 km to 20 km

15 km to where he is 'seen entering' at 18.7 km, distance covered 3.7 km @ 4:03/km...and note this 'excludes' the time he was off course .

He then covers the next 1.3 km in 6:32 @ 5:03/km and loses 1:18 to his 'virtual' pace, and still splits 21:21 for the 5 km segment @ 4:07/km

Note, he loses 1:18 in just 1.3 km and cannot run faster than 5:03 for that distance (we would assume that he is going all out, because he has to keep up with the virtual pace)

20 km to 25 km

He is visible at about 125 to 130 metres prior to the 25 km mat for at least 45 sec (it would be much more than that because he appears to come towards course from a side road)

He then covers that 125-130m at a pace of 5:10/km and loses 9 sec in that short time.

Despite this stop, and loss of 9 sec in 125m for a total known loss of 54 sec, he still splits the 5km segment in 20:02 @ 4:00/km

You may as well believe in fairies living at the bottom of your garden....mind you many do ;-)

Dr Phil's researcher. wrote:

Detective Columbo. wrote:

Clue: Francisco didn't run that day.

Note also, at 1:35 Frank drifts to his left and turns his head to acknowledge the person.

Find that person on the course in photos where Frank's about to through, is going through, or has gone through, and you'll have your accomplice.

Trust me.

The first photo here, in the upper left?

Not a coincidence. She's talking to him.

https://imgur.com/a/tM7Vq9h

Great analysis. This really is the right way to look at it. Forget whether someone can run a marathon in a given time while wasting a minute; instead ask if they could run a much shorter distance (5k split) while wasting that minute, or more.

He couldn’t, can’t and didn’t.

Where did she come from? I watched in slow motion and she doesn’t appear to come running up the road. She seems to step in off the curb, mills about, disappears into the crowd on the curb and then about twenty seconds later he pops out and you don’t see her resume the race. Does that sound right to you and your eyes?

Out of no where, she appears on the course with race gear and a bib. She mills around for a minute or so, and just happens to leave at the exact spot and at the exact moment (within 45 secs?) when FM could theoretically appear, hit his next split, and not set off any "18 min 5K" alarm bells. And guess who shows up.

Wherever Frank's involved you're going to a Frank type anomaly, often multiple anomalies.

In the time lapse video who is the person doing arm exercises and wearing what looks like a race number and, judging by the shadow, shorts.

Why, WTF's going on? Just another Frank anomaly.

RossiCheated: "Where did she come from? I watched in slow motion and she doesn’t appear to come running up the road. She seems to step in off the curb, mills about, disappears into the crowd on the curb and then about twenty seconds later he pops out and you don’t see her resume the race."

Why, WTF's going on? Just another Frank anomaly.

Yep, gives Meza the nod, steps off and he steps in at exactly, and I mean exactly, the same spot.

What a coincidence, WTF's going on? Just another Frank anomaly.

As if this wasn't complicated enough, we've now got two accomplices and both look like they're wearing race numbers. Derek, HELP!!!

Clutching at straws. wrote:

Who's this?

https://imgur.com/a/9z0xRWX

Bump wrote:

Not a coincidence. She's talking to him.

https://imgur.com/a/tM7Vq9h

We should flood the comments page on that Youtube video to raise awareness.

Derek, HELP!!! wrote:

As if this wasn't complicated enough, we've now got two accomplices and both look like they're wearing race numbers.

Derek, HELP!!!

Clutching at straws. wrote:

Who's this?

https://imgur.com/a/9z0xRWX

Bump wrote:

Not a coincidence. She's talking to him.

https://imgur.com/a/tM7Vq9h

Bottom page 55...Doubler appears to discount a connection. Too much of a coincidence imo -- she's right there, right before Frank re-enters the course after urinating on Hooters.

Youtuberperson wrote:

marshallini wrote:

is it this

https://youtu.be/qDqyPZn511M

?

We should flood the comments page on that Youtube video to raise awareness.

I'll have something better that can be shared tomorrow! Or I should say later today...

Outstanding work, LR sleuths have reloaded.

So what’s our process to find her on the course prior to the spot to try to get a bib number?

Just another Frank anomaly. wrote:

Yep, gives Meza the nod, steps off and he steps in at exactly, and I mean exactly, the same spot.

What a coincidence, WTF's going on? Just another Frank anomaly.

I’m torn. I want to favor the position that he acts alone because it’s easier to explain, he doesn’t have to draw other people into it, etc.

But we’re wrong to ignore this person and, more clearly to me, the presence of “SMU guy” in another race. If I go support someone and even wrong alongside them and do post-race photos, I think I’d know if they cheated or really ran a complete, fast marathon.

The smoke around the accomplice theory is growing.

“JFK”: “That’s a lot of smoke, but there’s some fire!”

Could not identify the other runner.

I’m on vacation this week, working on more of a broad, general article going back a ways.

I have been focusing less on the ‘how’. The accomplice stuff is fun..but I’m hesitant to be hunting down possible random runners publicly. If we can definitively find someone known to Frank near him at one of these cutting points, that would be meaningful and another piece to the strong circumstantial case.

Feel free to email me the accomplice theories and details..won’t be following this thread all that closely for the next few days at least.

I always thought it was likely he had an accomplice (or two) simply because of the parking situation. If you've spent decades in L.A., you know how difficult it is to find parking in a lot of areas. An accomplice would be able to keep the car running in no-parking zones, or drive slowly in circles while waiting for Dr. Meza.