Roderick Powell wrote:
Have you been able to figure out what FM was accomplishing once he came into view, until he tossed the black item. His white bib flips over as it becomes visible. That was unusual. All this just 3 or 4 minutes from the finish line. Seems to me that this is a lot of activity and wasted time and energy so close to the finish. Screaming of something fishy. FM was not near any other runners while doing this. Maybe that was by design. It too is possible that he had recently either re-entered the course or been handed the black item from the sideline. He seems pretty high up where that turn is.
Haven't checked the timing mats, but I'm guessing he jumped in sometime before he comes in to view in that video.
If you check out the photo below, I'm assuming leading up to the start, (Frank probably wasn't expecting a photographer there), you'll see Frank has a black T shirt under his track suit top, this is probably a long sleeve T shirt. The fact he's wearing a track suit walking up to the start also tells me he has an accomplice/s at the start to hand it over too as everyone else is in race attire, surely even he wouldn't start in all that clothing then hand it off along the course and go on to an age world class run, would he?
As he comes in to sight in the video he's in the process of taking the black T off, adjusts his bib belt by the looks of it, hands over the T to his accomplice/s and just as he passes in front of the two marshals puts his hat back on, then plods on to the finish to record his age group world class time.
Not sure how he scammed the race because, apart from the track suit photo, all the photos have him on course without a black T on or it tied around his waist, maybe this is where the accomplices came in, he jumps out puts the black T on to cover the number, jumps back in down the course, hands it back to his accomplice, rinse and repeat.
Also, perhaps they'd decided before hand they couldn't get to the exact point where he jumped back in before the finish and arranged for Frank to just hand it over where he did (perhaps he should have just thrown it in the bushes he passes, lol).
Anyway, I'd bet my left nut that's a black long sleeve T shirt he's handing over just before the finish.
https://www.marathonfoto.com/Proofs?PIN=04JH90&LastName=MEZAPS Masterful and cunning sleuthing by whoever found this part of the video, you'd make a great cheat or cheats accomplice.