Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

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Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby HCcD » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:11 am

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8820301/Marathon-runner-caught-bus-to-the-finish-line.html
Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line
A marathon runner has been stripped of his medal after catching a bus to the finish line.

By Anita Singh
6:45AM BST 12 Oct 2011

Rob Sloan claimed third place in the Kielder Marathon after completing the 26.2 mile course in an impressive time of 2:51:00.

But suspicions were raised by fellow runners bemused that they had not seen Sloan pass them during Sunday’s race.

After initially denying any wrongdoing, Sloan admitted to hopping onto a bus at the 20-mile mark because he was feeling tired. He then re-emerged from a wooded area of the course and picked up the bronze medal.

Witnesses reported seeing him hide behind a tree until the first and second placed runners went past, then rejoining the race behind them.

The 31-year-old now faces dismissal from his club, Sunderland Harriers, and could be banned from taking part in future marathons.
Steve Cram, the former world record holder and organiser of the race in Kielder Water, Northumberland, said: “He was the only runner in the whole of the race who ran the second half quicker than the first half.”

Sloan, a former Army mechanic from Downhill, Sunderland, was seen boasting to reporters minutes after completing the event. He described the race as “absolutely, unbelievably tough”.

When his placing was brought into doubt, he was indignant.

“I’m upset and angry that someone wants to cast these aspersions. It’s laughable, is what it is,” he insisted.

However, after organisers launched an investigation, he confessed to hitching a ride.

The bus was one of 12 laid on to ferry spectators around the lakeside course, which has been dubbed “Britain’s most beautiful marathon”.

A statement from the organisers said: “The athlete who was disqualified on Sunday after initially placing third has admitted that he failed to complete the whole course of 26.2 miles.

“Rob Sloan of Sunderland Harriers had apparently made the decision to withdraw from the race at approximately 20 miles due to fatigue and after returning to the Leaplish Park area he decided to run the closing section of the course and crossed the finish line in third place.

“This was rightly questioned by several witnesses including the rightful third place finisher, Steven Cairns of Peebles, Scotland, who has been awarded the prize.”

Sloan won a 10k race on Saturday and that result appears to hold firm.

He joined Sunderland Harriers a few months ago. Ann Lillie, club treasurer and vice-president, said: “It’s a bit of a shock. We have a good reputation and obviously this has brought the club into disrepute.

“It’s not the kind of advertising we need. We’ll be discussing Rob’s future when the executive committee meets next week.”

The runner later awarded the bronze medal, Steven Cairns, was one of those who shared their suspicions with organisers.

Writing on Facebook, he said: “I was third the whole way but somehow I crossed the line and was given fourth! He has stolen my glory and my moment on the podium.

“I started to doubt myself as he was adamant he had gone past me. I could understand him taking the goody bag and the t-shirt but to do the press interview claiming he was third…”

In 2009, Anthony Gaskell, 69, became the fastest pensioner to run the London Marathon when he finished in a record three hours and five minutes.

However, it emerged later that he took a short cut that knocked 10 miles off the course and his name was removed from the results.
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby mas_runner » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:14 am

Yeah I read about that, I used to live near Kielder. What an embarrassment to his running club. Glad they caught him, but how on earth did he think he would get away with it?
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby HCcD » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:19 am

Remember this one, a few years back at the Berlin Marathon?? :shifty: :wink:

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/69522-rubbish-politician-also-rubbish-at-cheating-in-marathons
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby PinkLady » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:21 am

Wow, that takes some chutzpah. :shock: I sniggered at the image of the cheater hiding behind a tree though...... :lol:
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby HCcD » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:24 am

mas_runner wrote:Yeah I read about that, I used to live near Kielder. What an embarrassment to his running club. Glad they caught him, but how on earth did he think he would get away with it?


Agreed .. Should have at least have gone for the Victory and breaking the tape .... :shock: :lol: :wink: :shifty:
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby HCcD » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:28 am

Almost as bad as this guy, who apparently was DQ'd, after the fact, who cheated at Kona this past weekend at the Ironman Championships, according to this forum on Slowtwitch.com ...

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=3578503;
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby canalrunner » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:30 am

Shameful. The ghost of Rosie Ruiz lives.

Now if he had been pregnant, that would have been explainable. :D
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby fingerboy » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:31 am

:roll:

Reminds me of my time at MSNR when after stomach problems I 'gave up' on the run at the 21k mark. I was going to walk back to take the shuttle to my car but I didn't want ppl to think I was cheating so I ended turning right instead and walked/ran the Ashbridges Bay part.

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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby HCcD » Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:38 am

canalrunner wrote:Shameful. The ghost of Rosie Ruiz lives.

Now if he had been pregnant, that would have been explainable. :D


:naughty: but =))
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby Killerz » Wed Oct 12, 2011 1:45 pm

I was hoping that maybe the ambulance i was in on sunday may have somehow crossed the finish line and triggered my chip...... :wink:

... Sorry, just trying to look on the funny side of it now.

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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby Jwolf » Wed Oct 12, 2011 1:47 pm

I was just reading on Slowtwitch about the guy who cheated in Kona-- he came forward on the thread and apologized and explained what he did. :shock:
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby HCcD » Wed Oct 12, 2011 1:49 pm

Jwolf wrote:I was just reading on Slowtwitch about the guy who cheated in Kona-- he came forward on the thread and apologized and explained what he did. :shock:


He really had no choice, as he was more or less outted .. and the IM Community is a small group, when you consider the numbers .... It will be interesting if he gets a ban and/or a lifetime ban on participating in future IM events, let alone Kona IM World Championship .. :shock: :?
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby CinC » Wed Oct 12, 2011 1:50 pm

Jwolf wrote:I was just reading on Slowtwitch about the guy who cheated in Kona-- he came forward on the thread and apologized and explained what he did. :shock:


i was just reading that thread too. incredible
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby abirdd » Wed Oct 12, 2011 7:17 pm

HCcD wrote:
mas_runner wrote:Yeah I read about that, I used to live near Kielder. What an embarrassment to his running club. Glad they caught him, but how on earth did he think he would get away with it?


Agreed .. Should have at least have gone for the Victory and breaking the tape .... :shock: :lol: :wink: :shifty:


Just read the article to Derek - first thing he says is" Dude cheated, and went for THIRD?!" Seriously, what a douche.
Did he not think sneaking out from the woods would escape attention?? I agree mas_runner - this looks pathetic on him, and sadly, his running club too.

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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby ian » Wed Oct 12, 2011 7:27 pm

I'm disappointed with the attitudes of both the cheater in the original article and the real third place finisher ("He has stolen my glory and my moment on the podium."). Doesn't anyone run for personal enjoyment and the achievement of personal goals or is it all about the prizes, the glory, and the adulation of family and friends? Let's be real: a 2:51 marathon is recreationally quick but it's more than half an hour slower than what you'd need to eke out a living with running. Running is your hobby, not your job. Nobody owes you "your moment", you make it for yourself with your attitude and your effort. It might seem like I'm picking on the wrong guy, but I sometimes think that the misguided attitudes of some of the non-cheaters often provide the atmosphere which attracts the cheaters.

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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby Jwolf » Wed Oct 12, 2011 7:33 pm

ian wrote:... but I sometimes think that the misguided attitudes of some of the non-cheaters often provide the atmosphere which attracts the cheaters.

I think that might be going a bit too far. I don't think people who are proud of their accomplishments encourage others to cheat. Yes, he was a bit whiny about to the reporter losing "his moment" ... but how often do we laud podium finishers and winners here on RM even for small relatively non-competitive races? It's not that much different. Something motivates cheaters beyond just standing on the podium anyway.
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby kab » Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:05 pm

Jwolf wrote:
ian wrote:... but I sometimes think that the misguided attitudes of some of the non-cheaters often provide the atmosphere which attracts the cheaters.

I think that might be going a bit too far. I don't think people who are proud of their accomplishments encourage others to cheat. Yes, he was a bit whiny about to the reporter losing "his moment" ... but how often do we laud podium finishers and winners here on RM even for small relatively non-competitive races? It's not that much different. Something motivates cheaters beyond just standing on the podium anyway.

Look how much more publicity he got because of the cheater. He's having his 15 minutes of fame as far as I can tell.
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby ian » Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:07 pm

Jwolf wrote:I don't think people who are proud of their accomplishments encourage others to cheat.

From my perspective, the "accomplishment" is a PB or a well-executed race or a positive experience, not a specific placing with respect to the other runners in the race or age group. The other runners in a race can certainly inspire breakthrough performances, but in the end, it's all about doing your best with what you can control.

... but how often do we laud podium finishers and winners here on RM even for small relatively non-competitive races? It's not that much different.

And maybe we shouldn't because it sometimes sends the wrong message: that you've only really accomplished something if you did better than someone else. Last place with a PB is a bigger accomplishment, in my opinion, than first place devoid of any other merits.

Something motivates cheaters beyond just standing on the podium anyway.

Certainly, and that's why most people don't cheat. Nevertheless, if "we" (runners in general, and some of us in particular) didn't care so much about podium finishes then they wouldn't have the same cachet to the cheaters and we wouldn't be as bothered by having them "stolen".

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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby Mark.AU » Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:14 pm

ian wrote:Nobody owes you "your moment", you make it for yourself with your attitude and your effort.

He did.

ian wrote:It might seem like I'm picking on the wrong guy

You are.

IMO, your whole post seems uncharacteristically judgmental, unusual for you...
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby ian » Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:55 pm

Mark. wrote:
ian wrote:Nobody owes you "your moment", you make it for yourself with your attitude and your effort.

He did.

In which case nothing was stolen from him. His reward should be the satisfaction of running a terrific race, as opposed to the realization that fewer than three other people happened to be faster.

IMO, your whole post seems uncharacteristically judgmental, unusual for you...

Maybe, and I'm not trying to change anyone's mind by articulating my opinion, but I sometimes wonder how much happier we could be if we stopped putting so much importance on things and people outside of our control. It's too easy to point out "bad people" as the cause behind every problem in life but that seldom stops the problems from happening again or makes us feel any better. The cheater guy is obviously a DB but I can't relate to his situation. I feel like I can relate to the other guy and I honestly think he missed an opportunity to rise above this minor misfortune.

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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby Mark.AU » Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:05 pm

Questioning others' motivations is a slippery slope though. We can't make an objective judgement on that, it's a totally subjective thing - that is, why we do what we do. Some people's enjoyment is completely oriented around placement, they're competitive, and that's how they enjoy their hobby. We can't make judgment calls on how someone should enjoy their own hobby without running the risk of almost certain hypocrisy; who is to say that their way is the right way when we're talking about something so completely subjective as enjoyment of an activity?

ETA; I understand about not trying to change anyone's mind - me either, just presenting an alternate viewpoint.
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby Jwolf » Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:13 pm

ian wrote:I feel like I can relate to the other guy and I honestly think he missed an opportunity to rise above this minor misfortune.


I see where you're coming from, but I can also relate to the disappointment of the real third place finisher. Maybe glory isn't the right word....

Would you think differently if he had come in first? I know that I would be pretty miffed if I saw the cheater standing on the podium next to me in "apparent" first place.

A similar thing did happen to me when I missed out on a 3rd place age-group finish in a 15K race because several women "ahead" of me had actually run the 10K course instead of the 15K. I was listed as coming in 6th in my age group, but three of those three women ahead of me had not run the 15K course. One of these women "ahead" of me was actually listed as winning the 15K race. In that case I was annoyed more that the RD didn't do anything to prevent or fix this problem, but I also admit to being a bit disappointed that I missed out on the prize I should have gotten. Even though I'm not really that fast. When we enter races we are competing against the field-- that's part of the fun of it and why races have awards at all; otherwise we can just time ourselves for PBs. Maybe it gives cheaters more motivation to cheat, but then again some people cheat to get into Boston too (i.e., by having someone wear their chip). It's not fair to say we can't put value on external rewards simply because it makes them more desirable.
Last edited by Jwolf on Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby turd ferguson » Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:15 pm

Its a good question Ian and it comes down to priorities.

Would I rather (a) finish in 53rd place (6th in my AG) in a competitive race with a 19:59, or (b) win a less competitive race in 20:45?

I've never won a race but I have led in a couple for a stretch. I don't care what anyone says, competing against other people is different than racing the clock. Maybe its more primal, chasing another person rather than chasing a stopwatch. I don't know. Its a good question.

I mean, that's the basis of every competitive sport - team sports or individual like squash or tennis. Your performance, win or lose, depends in large part on your competition. That's how sport works.

You shouldn't tie your entire self worth up in whether you win or lose, but it still feels good to win.
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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby dgrant » Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:47 pm

turd ferguson wrote:Its a good question Ian and it comes down to priorities.

Would I rather (a) finish in 53rd place (6th in my AG) in a competitive race with a 19:59, or (b) win a less competitive race in 20:45?

I've never won a race but I have led in a couple for a stretch. I don't care what anyone says, competing against other people is different than racing the clock. Maybe its more primal, chasing another person rather than chasing a stopwatch. I don't know. Its a good question.

I mean, that's the basis of every competitive sport - team sports or individual like squash or tennis. Your performance, win or lose, depends in large part on your competition. That's how sport works.


I agree, but in this case the real third place finisher did get that competitive experience. He ran the race against the other people who were there, and had the racing experience of a third place finisher. The bus rider's only effect on his day came during the after-the-fact recognition phase... which is sort of separate IMHO.

I sort of like these stories, or the "Woman Gives Birth After Finishing Marathon!!!" or "Man Runs 12hr Marathon In Gorilla Costume!!!" stories... takes the piss out of the sometimes excessive seriousness of what is essentially a bunch of adults enjoying a children's activity.

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Re: Marathon runner caught bus to the finish line

Postby ian » Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:55 pm

Fair points Mark, Jenn, and Mike. Competitive sports, even at our recreational level, have thrills that can't be replicated in training. That being said, I'm pondering/hoping/advocating that the competition is only part of the total experience and a means to draw out the best we have to give. As soon as some sort of tangible prize at the end becomes the most important aspect of an event, it seems to me that you're choosing to relegate your happiness to a secondary consideration and that's a strange way to spend your free time. Not "wrong", mind you, but I wonder how many people inadvertently creep away from doing something for the love of it to doing something for recognition. They're not necessarily exclusive (love vs. recognition) but they are most definitely two separate objectives and I think it's nearly impossible to have them as equal priorities.


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