Grapevine, TX Saturday December 7th
8:58 am, I am standing at the start of the Perpetual Motion 24-hour race together with the starters of the 6 and 12-hour race. Dane Rauschenberg is one of the 6-hour racers. He is standing in the front row while Timer Mike Melton explains how the timing works and that you should never go back on the course: “If you forgot something, just do another lap.”
After a couple of laps Dane is laping me at the southern most corner of the course. He is obviously taking a short cut through the grass, right of the trash can we have to circumnavigate. I see Dane doing this two more times before I tell him that he needs to stop doing that. “Stay always left of that trash can.” “ I don’t know what you are talking about” is his answer. This time he stays on the course, touches the lid of the can and shows me his middle finger while he is running away. This was about 1:38 hours into the race.
After that it looks like he stays on the course. Which is quite easy to check since there are not many trees obstructing this 0.514 mile course. The only runners you can’t see, is when they are behind the aid station tents.
5:20 hours into the race, I am approaching the timing tent and I see Dane walking back to his car where his girlfriend sits.
I am wondering if he is done running. Maybe he hit his distance goal for the day. Running north on the long straight, I see him sitting at his car and then standing up again and start running again. So basically he, “did” a half mile with just walking 100 yards back to his car, resting 4 minutes or so and go out again just in time to hit another perfect lap time.
Of course this could only happen because timer Mike was not sitting there at that moment. Earlier he took a nap in his chair. Dane saw the opportunity and used it.
I report it straight away to Mike who is back. He walks over to Dane’s girlfriend. A loop later her cheery self is gone. The smile is gone, she doesn’t look happy anymore.
The 6 hours a coming to an end. Dane is just in front of me (we changed directions on the course after 4 hours) just before that southern tip of the course. He says to another runner that he is just walking the last lap. I close in on him and when I am next to him I say “ I have a couple of questions” Dane: “ I am sure you have questions” and he takes off again.
One or two loops later, the 6 hours are over, I see Dane walking towards me on the opposite straight. I am next to another runner when he yells at me something along these lines: “ I beat the sheit out of you”
I ran 196 laps and I didn’t see any other runner cutting the course or walking backwards at the timing tent.
So my question is, why does a decent good runner needs to cheat in a small race? Dane was a good 3 miles ahead of the next 6-hour racer.
Results:
https://my.raceresult.com/144046/#0_3EF1B7
Race website: