Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater! Or something like that. Now that the 2017 Boston Marathon is history, out come the stories of all the cheaters. That’s this week’s Tuesdays on the Run topic.
Derek over at Marathon Investigations is doing a great job of outing the offenders. Who are these cheaters? What drives one to cheat? And the one that baffles me the most: What the heck are they thinking??
For the purposes of this discussion, race cheating refers to illicitly manipulating the result of a race in such a way that an overall victory, a prize (financial or symbolic) podium placement, age group award or qualifying time is obtained.
Let’s review some popular cheating techniques:
Bib forging. With the proliferation of social media came bib pirating. Someone “steals” a bib seen on-line and through the magic of the Photoshop and a computer printer, reproduces it and runs a race he/she did not register/qualify for.
Bib muling. I personally know someone who did this and it blew my mind. In that case, the timing chip was handed off to a spouse in the middle miles of a marathon and it was the spouse who actually finished the race. Interesting yes? Sort of an illegal relay of sorts. The runner openly admitted to this on social media and rationalized that she “walked so far back to the car that I got more than 26.2 miles in”. In even more insidious cases, runners give their bib to “mules” who run the entire race FOR them, typically in search of a Boston qualifying time. When you go back and look at the race pics, you’ll notice the “real” runner is nowhere to be found. Read a little story about how Cindy was caught doing just that here.
SO THIS HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY. WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT RUNNING MARATHONS IS THAT IT TRULY DOES TEST MENTAL STRENGTH THAT ALSO TRANSLATES TO HOW WE DEAL WITH CHALLENGES IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES. RAN MY HEART OUT TODAY AND LEFT EVERYTHING ON THE COURSE. ALL THE TRAINING PAID OFF AND QUALIFIED FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON! ?♀️ AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU #BELIEVE. NEXT UP: LOTS OF YOGA AND HIBERNATION!
The quote above is what Cindy posted on social media after not actually running NYCM. I wonder if she’s still hibernating?
Course Cutting. I think this one is self explanatory. Rosie Ruiz may be the most famous course cutter of recent times, although many have followed in her footsteps. Subway anyone?
Here’s a New One…
…what about this guy who took an “extra” Boston Marathon medal for his wife, as a token of his appreciation for putting up with his months of marathon training? He had to know it wasn’t right to take an extra medal. I’m guessing he must have hidden the first one he received under his foil wrap in order to get another. He states in his apology letter that one of his twins snagged his first medal as they reunited so he accepted another one. I can tell you from experience where you get the medals in Boston is nowhere near the reunion area. For the record, the Boston Marathon actually sells a “companion medal” for this exact purpose.
Cheater’s High?
I don’t know about you, but wouldn’t cheating take the entire sense of accomplishment out of it? Because, hello! You didn’t really earn it. It’s NOT REAL! I can tell you I’d feel all kinds of guilty and paranoid if I took a prize or a place at a race that wasn’t officially mine but apparently this isn’t the case for everyone. According to psychologists, just as some runners experience a “runner’s high” there are people out there who experience a “cheater’s high” or sense of exhilaration after cheating.
Who’s most likely to cheat?
Research shows you may be more likely to cheat if…
You tend to compare yourself to others. Those who feel like others are doing better than they are have a greater tendency to cheat.
You’ve recently won. The theory is that some runners may feel a sense of entitlement after they’ve previously won. They feel pressure to win again and may seek to do so at any cost.
You are externally motivated. Those are the runners who care quite a bit what others think of them. Being able to say they won a certain race or ran a BQ or snagged an age group place is very important to them. After awhile, how others perceive them becomes their truth.
If only they put as much effort and imagination into their training as they did bending the truth.
What are your thoughts about cheating? Have you witnessed a race cheater in action?
I’m linking up with Deb for Wednesday Word and with Suz, Rachel, Debbie and Lora for Coaches’ Corner.
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These stories amaze me! I just cannot imagine cheating to get a time, or do a race I didnt quality for. That research about who is most likely to cheat makes sense I guess. Still can’t relate though!
Everything about this topic makes my blood boil! I simply do not understand cheating at a race. I’m especially flummoxed by those who post things on social media. Like… how are people supposed to respond to that?? I’ll be super curious if you get any comments from people defending their actions or the actions of anybody in your story (like the double medal guy).
I have never witness a race cheater – to my knowledge.
These stories always amaze me for sure. I can’t imagine ever doing that or even considering it. Even on my race worse day, it hasn’t crossed my mind.
I love this line “If only they put as much effort and imagination into their training as they did bending the truth.” – this goes for all aspects of life and it always amazes me why people choose the path of cheating/ lying. Why not just do the training and run your best? I would proudly come in last knowing that I had taken every step by myself, no matter how painful and no matter how slow. Then… you cheat, and have the audacity to post about running a marathon and the mental strength needed, leaving your heart on the track etc etc etc., but you didn’t actually do it??? Deep breath… Cheating is such disgusting behaviour.
Well! I had no idea they did research about who is most likely to cheat. I think I would just feel guilty the entire time. How would you keep it up? What really is there to gain?
DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THIS. I can’t even. Like, seriously. Cheaters, people who get extra medals and give them to people. When I coached for the Chicago Marathon in 2014, I ran only part of the course but I ran across the finish line because there was no place for me to get off the course. The medal people were SO confused when I kept running and didn’t take a medal! But I hadn’t run the full thing, and that is sacred to me!
I’d feel horribly guilty if I accidentally cut a course. I can’t even imagine doing it deliberately! That concept of walking to a car equaling a completed marathon is interesting, though. My walk to the bathroom to pee a hundred times daily surely equals 3.1 miles. Can I count that as a 5k a day? 😉
Great post, Marcia! #thingsthatmakeyougohmm
I’d feel horribly guilty if I accidentally cut a course. I can’t even imagine doing it deliberately! The concept of a walk to one’s car counting toward a completed marathon is interesting, though. My walk to the bathroom to pee a hundred times daily surely adds up to 3.1 miles. Can I count that as a 5k a day? 😉
Great post, Marcia! #thingsthatmakeyougohmm
(This is my second attempt to comment … sorry if it shows up twice!)
It never fails to amaze me. My boys tell me cheating is rampant in school, so I guess it’s just a way of life for people now. I would bet that the more you do it, the easier it gets to believe that it’s ok too. Until it’s not.
Such great timing for this topic!
I’m glad you told that Boston Marathon story because I heard that it happened but didn’t know the details. Why on earth would the wife want a medal from a race she didn’t run anyway???? How did he get caught?
I heard of similar things happening at the Disney marathon. A husband and wife were going to run but the wife only jumped in the during the last 3 miles in Epcot. They both got medals. The husband said she deserved the medal cus she trained so hard but got sick on race day. NO YOU DONT deserve a medal if you didn’t run the entire race!!! What is wrong with people?
I DON’T GET IT AT ALL!!!
I just don’t know how you can live with yourself and plaster it all over social media to boot. YOU CHEATED! IT’S NOT REAL!!!! YOU DIDN’T EARN IT!!!
I’d rather never qualify for Boston than cheat to get my way to the race. Seriously. Not worth it. I have to live with myself.
I think it’s very sad that people feel such pressure either internally or socially that they feel like they have to cheat. I feel kind of sorry for them and how unhappy they must be.
The dude that took the extra Boston Marathon medal still blows my mind…like WTF is a companion medal? We ALL get support from friends and family, but that doesnt mean they deserve a medal!
I simply can’t understand it. I mean first of all, you’re likely going to get caught. People are pretty savvy at figuring these things out now days and how could you live with yourself if you didn’t?
Watching Rita Jeptoo cross the finish line for 2014 Boston during the documentary made me angry all over again, and even more reports of Kenyans cheating. I know it’s difficult for race organizers to deal with, but how do you deal with it? At some point they need to stop accepting athletes whose coaches and agents are shady.
it also talked about Rosie Ruiz, who denied the accusations, and maybe still does.
I hadn’t heard of mules. Racing is all about challenging myself to me, so I can’t even wrap my head around that.
Seriously, what are they thinking! It amazes me! Yes, cheaters should be punished! I witnessed a lady take 3rd place in her age group at a 5 mile obstacle run. I saw her, she did 0 of the obstacles but walked right up there to get her 3rd place prize. There was a cheater Saturday at Bok Tower who claimed he got lost………….I am still shaking my head!
Cheaters should totally be DQ’ed for sure. Baffles my mind why people do it and think it’s okay. Work for what you want and be honest!
I cannot fathom this. Like you said, how can you even feel a sense of accomplishment at all when you know it’s fake? So bizarre.
I think this is great that you ladies addressed this out there! Definitely a problem at races across the country. One of our local running groups has taken a strong stand against giving other people their bibs. That is huge in terms of it something happened to the runner that didn’t register and they need medical attention. I know someone who ran under a friend’s bib recently and it has been very, very frustrating especially as they proudly shared it on FB. I really don’t think that they think they’ve done anything wrong. If only people would just do the right thing…
People are so obsessed with that instant gratification that now they think they can deceive others to thinking they’ve raced better than they have. I think it’s really sad. The guy picking up a medal for his wife was just bizarre…I just assume his brain was foggy post-marathon because seriously??!
I just can’t understand cheating… seems to me that you are cheating yourself out of a true accomplishment.
I will seriously never understand race cheaters. What’s the point?!
These stories always amaze me! I won’t even wear a tshirt for a race a didn’t actually run so I cannot imagine doing these things. I did actually see a runner cut the course short in a 10k last year and I reported her to the race officials. She still won a A/G award because there were only 3 in her division. It still irked me and felt she should have received a DNF ….I know, call me harsh! 🙂
This sent me into a dark rabbit hole ! I could not stop reading stories of the cheaters!! What in the world!!
The story of the man taking two medals, one for himself and one for his wife!!! What the ??? I would appreciate a few days off or a nice meal out as a pay for putting up with somebody during marathon training… that would be much more welcome in my book than a medal I did not earn! but I can be talked into almost anything with food!
Motivation is easy to become stressful if we do not have the right mindset. And that will make people cheat, why, it is to overcome that pressure. And I think, also due to the huge expectations from people
look i can understand cheating to get a BQ with a mule , you want to run that race so much you cheat for the chance to run it.. OF COURSE its wrong, the person doing this is a total idiot you probably get caught but in this case i ‘get’ they why…. as for this other cheating, like cheating on training runs, cheating by wearing 2 gps devices to get to the top of virtual leaderboards, taking a train to cut a course (and miss many timing mats) and making fake bibs i just keep thinking WHAT THE F*** IS WRONG WITH YOU? HOW DUMB CAN YOU BE ? AND UMMM… YOU WILL GET CAUGHT!!! sorry for yelling but come on what? really? when did running become so cool that people have to cheat for the glory?
I did not witness it, but during one of the Marine Corps Marathons I ran, a runner cut across the National Mall (I think it was the Mall) cutting several miles off of their total distance. I couldn’t even imagine…
Thanks for linking up!
I cannot even take it with the cheaters. Why do it? You will get caught.
I’ve been obsessed with this topic since I stumbled on Derek Murphy’s website. I just don’t get it! I recently was signed up for a half marathon, then received an invitation for a family wedding out of state the same weekend. I e-mailed the race organizers and asked if bib transfers were allowed. The answer was no; so done deal. I forfeited my fee and entry and moved on with my life!