Live data from Hacker News

Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

marathoninvestigation.com

141–150 of 197 posts

Re: Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

#141
post #133

Not to be too tangential but I'm actually looking for a good running watch (I'm just getting back into running) and possibly heart rate monitor + gps. I noticed in the article they show her watch (to show the discrepancy in distance). What watch is that? What is the running software? EDIT (I missed the Garmin 235 link and paragraph). I am not sure how I missed it over and over (I was using my phone) and yes I feel du…

May I piggyback on this tangent ? I really want a real-time heartrate monitor but have been convinced that the wristwatch heartrate monitors are quite inaccurate compared to the chest straps ... But I also need a simple timer/chronograph. Do I need two devices or is there a chest strap HR monitor that has a simple timer/watch/chrono built into it ?

I did some careful examining of the picture (after commenting) and it looks like she is wearing a high end garmin watch.

That is sort of the problem. There is super cheap that timex just does time, fitbit/garmin/polar that requires constant charging and is buggy and then there is the ultra highend garmin watches that are $500+ (the fenix series).

I just can't justify $500 (Garmin Fenix) as I only wear watches when I run. Looks like Amazon sells them refurbished though.

Re: Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

#142

Not to be too tangential but I'm actually looking for a good running watch (I'm just getting back into running) and possibly heart rate monitor + gps. I noticed in the article they show her watch (to show the discrepancy in distance). What watch is that? What is the running software? EDIT (I missed the Garmin 235 link and paragraph). I am not sure how I missed it over and over (I was using my phone) and yes I feel du…

The article does link to the watch (a Garmin 235) on Amazon [0].

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Forerunner-230-Black-White/dp/...

Re: Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

#143
post #140

Not to be too tangential but I'm actually looking for a good running watch (I'm just getting back into running) and possibly heart rate monitor + gps. I noticed in the article they show her watch (to show the discrepancy in distance). What watch is that? What is the running software? EDIT (I missed the Garmin 235 link and paragraph). I am not sure how I missed it over and over (I was using my phone) and yes I feel du…

It says so in the article, it is the Garmin Forerunner 230 or 235. The 230 uses a chest strap for heart rate, the 235 has optical heart rate built in. The software is Garmin's. To connect the watch and get the data off it you can use Garmin Connect (works via your phone and bluetooth) or you can connect the watch with a wire and use it as you would a regular hard drive. The files on a Garmin are saved as .FIT files.…

I feel completely stupid for missing that. For some reason the layout of the pictures on my phone made me miss that. I might delete my comment now.

Re: Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

#144
post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't agree that it's innocent. Competitors in marathons (the ones that have a chance of winning especially) have put a lot of time, energy, effort, and pain into training to be successful. To have their rewards for that effort and commitment stolen by someone who didn't earn it is not fair and should be scrutinized and called out. To call this "trivial" seems like maybe you have no interest or experience with mara…

A little surprised to see this on the front page of HN, but I don't think we can deny that running is probably the nerdiest of sports. Anyway, that's nice that she owned up to it. Most of the cheaters don't. As a guy who's no doubt proved my running bonafides -- 3:06 marathon pr + there's a picture of me on the Western States 100 wikipedia page -- I always wonder why people get so angry about this kind of thing. I me…

Cheating and doping both make me very angry as a casual athlete. I don't let it ruin my day, but it annoys me. Like come on, we are training 10h a week to go pay money to run a race and get a $1 medal. Let's kinda sorta keep it fair?

Re: Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

#145
post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why should someone who cheated at a PUBLIC event and very publicly claimed the prize and actively misled other runners and the judging committee not be exposed publicly? Is it not in the public interest to punish these peoples? Or should we never report on such misdeeds for fear of any personal and professional retribution? Isn't that part of being a responsible adult in a civil society? She's a sponsored running/lif…

I think you are missing his point. There is nothing wrong with the methodology (using her own Garmin watch as conclusive evidence) but there is something to be said about the medium through which she was exposed (the Internet). The problem is the Internet never forgets so even if she learns a hard lesson from her actions and chooses to become a changed person (ala becoming a coach/public speaker/etc), her name will s…

I think you missed the point as well. The newspaper coverage of her public deception and lying is on par with the benefits that she would otherwise try to benefit from by building up her image on fake wins and defrauding people who have trained harder to get those same results - and somehow we're supposed to give her a pass because she might want to have another public trust position in the future? She should work and convince those in the public space like another person committing other public trust breaches and taking fraudulent actions. Are you saying the Internet should forget, especially inconvenient/correct but damaging stories? Public records also never forget.

Re: Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

#146
post #57

You would think the turnaround point would be a natural place for the race organisers to put a timing mat. They would capture an extra split time and be able to automatically identify runners succumbing to this temptation.

One comment in the link says there actually was a timing mat at the turnaround point:

"Fantastic investigative work. HOWEVER. Not sure why you had to do this. You see, I ran the race. And you wouldn't know this because you didn't, but there are four timing mats - start, finish, 10K and turnaround (about 9 miles)."

the answer from Derek is:

"I am aware of the timing mat at the turnaround. The timer did notice this, and she was initially DQ'd but was added back in until they went through everything. In every race there are missed mats - sometimes they malfunction, or they aren't placed across the entire course and are missed by an honest runner."

Re: Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

#147
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The podium is all about attention. She put her face and name out into the public before the blogger did.

Yes but the comment's assertion is valid. Because the screenshots clearly reveal her name and social media handles even if the article refers to her as "the runner".

I'm not so sure I agree with this line of reasoning. I'm betting she'd have had no problem with her face/name being plastered up for all to see that she had won 2nd place in the race, and promoting that on social media.

This outcome is the same magnitude, just with the sign bit flipped.

Re: Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

#148
post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't agree that it's innocent. Competitors in marathons (the ones that have a chance of winning especially) have put a lot of time, energy, effort, and pain into training to be successful. To have their rewards for that effort and commitment stolen by someone who didn't earn it is not fair and should be scrutinized and called out. To call this "trivial" seems like maybe you have no interest or experience with mara…

A little surprised to see this on the front page of HN, but I don't think we can deny that running is probably the nerdiest of sports. Anyway, that's nice that she owned up to it. Most of the cheaters don't. As a guy who's no doubt proved my running bonafides -- 3:06 marathon pr + there's a picture of me on the Western States 100 wikipedia page -- I always wonder why people get so angry about this kind of thing. I me…

I'm a casual runner, but I am engaged in a secret athletic struggle against my nemesis, a guy in my age group (55-59) who routinely finishes about 5 minutes ahead of me in local 5K races. It's a secret struggle because I'm not on even on his radar...but HE is on MINE. Believe me, if someone cheated and put yet another spot in the rankings between me and Nemesis, he would be stealing something important from me.

Re: Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

#149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A little surprised to see this on the front page of HN, but I don't think we can deny that running is probably the nerdiest of sports. Anyway, that's nice that she owned up to it. Most of the cheaters don't. As a guy who's no doubt proved my running bonafides -- 3:06 marathon pr + there's a picture of me on the Western States 100 wikipedia page -- I always wonder why people get so angry about this kind of thing. I me…

Cheating and doping both make me very angry as a casual athlete. I don't let it ruin my day, but it annoys me. Like come on, we are training 10h a week to go pay money to run a race and get a $1 medal. Let's kinda sorta keep it fair?

Obviously, I'm not gonna defend those behaviors. It's kind of a cliche, but they're really only cheating themselves.

As for the rest of us, who are we really racing against? Sure, there are the handful of jerks who you battle it out with on the local scene... and if one of those guys were to cheat, you're right, that would feel personal and that would piss me off.

But if some other random runner cut the course? Aren't we pretty much all just racing ourselves, seeing how far and fast we can push our bodies?

Re: Runner Disqualified After Claiming 2nd Place in Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

#150
post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't agree that it's innocent. Competitors in marathons (the ones that have a chance of winning especially) have put a lot of time, energy, effort, and pain into training to be successful. To have their rewards for that effort and commitment stolen by someone who didn't earn it is not fair and should be scrutinized and called out. To call this "trivial" seems like maybe you have no interest or experience with mara…

A little surprised to see this on the front page of HN, but I don't think we can deny that running is probably the nerdiest of sports. Anyway, that's nice that she owned up to it. Most of the cheaters don't. As a guy who's no doubt proved my running bonafides -- 3:06 marathon pr + there's a picture of me on the Western States 100 wikipedia page -- I always wonder why people get so angry about this kind of thing. I me…

> I mean, sure, it's not cool to cheat, but this ain't the Olympics. Who gives a shit?

People who value fair play and personal honor more highly than you do. (well, you asked)

> Nothing is getting "stolen,"

Those whose rankings are affected by the cheater have had something taken from them.

Post reply on HN