Have People Cheated In Races You've Done

Mar 23, 13 1:22

Post #1 of 25 (7672 views)

Spintela's thread about a pacer in IM made me wonder -- have any of you experienced blatant cheating during a race (not counting drafting in nonlegal races)

A couple years ago in a major race I've participated in for years, the winner in my age group beat everyone else by about 45 mins. I recognized her name as someone who was a middle-of-the-packer along with me the year before (it's a small wave, and the usual suspects quickly become familiar). Being a total snoop I wanted to see what she looked like to effect such a miraculous improvement, so went into the race photos to pull up her name. There was no way in *hell* this woman was my age, she looked more like 25-30 and on the elite side at that. So I continued snooping and looked up the same name from the year before. Lo and behold, a totally different, middle-aged-looking lady appeared.

Unless there was a big mixup at the finish, or two totally different runners of the same name in the same age group, what I suppose happened is the slower lady got injured or didn't feel like racing and gave her number to a very fast friend/clubmate/whatever who did, in her place.

None of this affected my lowly spot in the standings but it did piss me off on behalf of the 2nd and 3rd placer who got bumped down unfairly. I got in touch with the organisers but they didn't take my CIS Triathlon detective work anywhere.

Anyone else have stories ?

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [kiki] [ In reply to ]

Mar 23, 13 7:19

Post #2 of 25 (7637 views)

Yes. At a HIM last year that had three loops on the run it became quite obvious that a younger woman had her boyfriend pacing her. I nicely said something to the two of them, on the premise maybe they just didn't know the rules. BF, who is not registered but taking aid from the stations anyway, acts like a jerk and says he can run wherever he wants. As we pass through the finishing area where the crowds are, BF disappears until the other side, so it becomes obvious that he knows exactly what he is doing. So I say something a little stronger, along the lines of "are you really going to feel good about finishing when you know you had to cheat to do it?". BF blows up, starts kicking dropped cups in front of me, veering into me and generally harassing me. I had to stop at an aid station to have an adult volunteer pull him aside long enough for me get away from him.

Volunteer and I spoke with race officials afterward, who said they couldn't do anything because they didn't see it.

No coasting in running and no crying in baseball

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [kiki] [ In reply to ]

Mar 23, 13 7:28

Post #3 of 25 (7636 views)

I saw it at IMC a lot of runners being supported and being helped to run and keep running along the course. Ok lets say someone you know runs along sidemofmyou for a couple of minutes maybe a couple of miles to cheer you on to encourage you to keep going when you are struggling. Do you still consider that cheating? Thats what I saw many athletes were being helped and aided by non competitors in the run portion ofmthe race. One in particular that I know for more than half the distance of the race.

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [kiki] [ In reply to ]

Mar 23, 13 7:48

Post #4 of 25 (7628 views)

Yep. I've had the BF pacer, I've had the pair of friends who paceline each other, I've had the two-loops-not-three, I've had the headphones/earbuds. Drives me nuts. I'll mention it to an official if I see one on the course, so they can see the infraction, but other than that... not much they can do if they don't see it. At least I know I didn't cheat, and hopefully one day they will realize they are only cheating themselves and change their ways.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [spintela] [ In reply to ]

Mar 23, 13 7:51

Post #5 of 25 (7626 views)

I don't consider friend running along side for a few minutes cheating. A few miles....maybe.

I saw a woman completely and totally drafting off a guy at IMCDA several years ago. I'm not sure if he was racing or not but she was. We were BOP riders, and it pissed me off. She obviously wasn't going to win anything, but he was making it much easier for her while I was slogging along solo.

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [kiki] [ In reply to ]

Mar 23, 13 9:35

Post #6 of 25 (7600 views)

It is one of my personal pet peeves to see women being paced by men. Seriously? You can't do a race without a man helping you? In the end, they get out what they put in. You get confidence and find value in yourself when you do the hard work, yourself. So they lose.

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [trailbait] [ In reply to ]

Mar 23, 13 15:36

Post #7 of 25 (7549 views)

In Reply To:

It is one of my personal pet peeves to see women being paced by men. Seriously? You can't do a race without a man helping you?

If a girl were the pacer would you say the same thing? Why does the sex of the pacer matter?

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]

Mar 23, 13 21:16

Post #8 of 25 (7487 views)

tigerchik wrote:

In Reply To:

It is one of my personal pet peeves to see women being paced by men. Seriously? You can't do a race without a man helping you?

If a girl were the pacer would you say the same thing? Why does the sex of the pacer matter?

I agree with tigerchik; gender should be irrelevant. Pacing is cheating, plain and simple. The person competing should do so on their own...that's why we train hard and often, so we know our pace, what we're capable of, etc. It's the same reason headphones are against USAT rules: it's a crutch.

Of course, this is the opinion of a newb to the sport, so take that for what it's worth. :)

- John
"Have courage, and be kind."

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]

Mar 23, 13 21:36

Post #9 of 25 (7484 views)

"If a girl were the pacer would you say the same thing? Why does the sex of the pacer matter?"

But whenever this sort of thing does happen it almost usually seems to be "the boy friend", but true, cheating is not always gender specific.

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [kiki] [ In reply to ]

Mar 23, 13 22:56

Post #10 of 25 (7474 views)

At a local HIM some friends were telling me that they noticed 2 lead men get out of the swim one right after the other, and then head off towards T1. When my friends got over there they noticed one of the guys was long gone out of T1, and the other guy taking his time getting ready at a very leisurely pace - in no apparent hurry at all to stay with the leader. My friends puzzled over why that would be so, and surmised that the guy first out of the water was a domestique for guy #2, and once he hit T1 his job was done. First time they had seen that.

There is nothing wrong with friends running alongside you for a block or so to say some nice things and find out how you are doing, so no that's not cheating. I did shoo a spectating friend away at IMC who was riding her bike up and down the marathon course - she wanted to stay with me but I told her that was possible grounds for disqualification, which she didn't realise. So she rode around cheering on everyone else and checked in with me periodically. It was nice to have her out there, checking in for brief moments for it was a LONG day!

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]

Mar 24, 13 2:18

Post #11 of 25 (7461 views)

At an IM race a couple of years ago, the course was a kind of "Y" shape. You rode a straight line first, then branched off to the left and came back, then branched to the right and came back. A woman riding in front of me stopped at the portaloo at the beginning of the left hand branch of the "Y". I continued on the left hand arm of the "Y". When I rode on to the right hand arm of the "Y" here was the same woman coming out of the right hand arm. She would have cut off about 20k's from her bike. NOT COOL and blatant and deliberate cheating!!

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [Mr + Mrs C.C.] [ In reply to ]

Mar 24, 13 14:37

Post #12 of 25 (7375 views)

2 guys blew by me at CDA a few years ago. I didn't think the front one realized there was someone sucking his wheel- so I said to the front guy 'you've got a passenger'. got a dirty look from the drafter.

A little later same drafter passed me again (don't know when I passed him- potty break maybe) 2 inches from the wheel of a different guy, and appeared to be wheel hopping.

Pissed me off. I was hot, tired, grumpy, so I shouted at him '1119 you should be ASHAMED of yourself' at the top of my voice.

Not sure it did anything, but made me feel better.

Same race- got my race photos back. Pics from the bike- I have a train of guys on my ass. Hilarious. I had no idea at the time.

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [AndyPants] [ In reply to ]

Mar 24, 13 14:46

Post #13 of 25 (7372 views)

I wish I could wear my headphones. I don't see it as cheating like pacing or drafting. I certainly would make it more tolerable for me in the run and I get to wear them in marathons.

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [johnnybefit] [ In reply to ]

Mar 24, 13 21:21

Post #14 of 25 (7289 views)

I know you don't, but having volunteered/marshalled at many races, I see it as a big problem (esp when on the bike). Major safety problems occur when people cannot/choose not to hear.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [AndyPants] [ In reply to ]

Mar 24, 13 21:27

Post #15 of 25 (7288 views)

So annoying. Most people were wearing headphones this morning. What made me laugh are the people trying to have conversations over their music. And they just don't hear what is going on around them. Really unsafe.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [kiki] [ In reply to ]

Mar 25, 13 1:11

Post #16 of 25 (7269 views)

Just remembered another occasion --

it was on the swim at Windsor -- the Thames was so low that some gal was wading off to the side! Between the muck and the swans I can't imagine she was going much faster than the rest of us but it churned up the silt something nasty. Given the distress possibilities on the swim that one didn't bother me so much though.

Post deleted by PigBodine [ In reply to ]

Mar 25, 13 5:06

Post #17 of 25 (7249 views)

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [kiki] [ In reply to ]

Mar 25, 13 6:16

Post #18 of 25 (7231 views)

I've seen cheating, like many of you, pacers, and people helping an athlete when it's illegal, etc.

I just don't get it. The whole reason I run /tri is to feel good about accomplishing something. I just don't see how these people can finish and even brag about it, when they cheated. I won't even wear a race shirt if I didn't do the race. I can't imagine knowing I cheated and then being happy about it, or living w/ myself, or having that in any way increase my self image.

Just my opinion.

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [nad] [ In reply to ]

Mar 25, 13 7:13

Post #19 of 25 (7210 views)

you nailed it!

------------------------
"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [nad] [ In reply to ]

Mar 25, 13 9:03

Post #20 of 25 (7180 views)

nad wrote:

I've seen cheating, like many of you, pacers, and people helping an athlete when it's illegal, etc.

I just don't get it. The whole reason I run /tri is to feel good about accomplishing something. I just don't see how these people can finish and even brag about it, when they cheated. I won't even wear a race shirt if I didn't do the race. I can't imagine knowing I cheated and then being happy about it, or living w/ myself, or having that in any way increase my self image.

Just my opinion.

my opinion too

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [nad] [ In reply to ]

Mar 25, 13 11:22

Post #21 of 25 (7136 views)

nad wrote:

I just don't get it. The whole reason I run /tri is to feel good about accomplishing something. I just don't see how these people can finish and even brag about it, when they cheated. I won't even wear a race shirt if I didn't do the race. I can't imagine knowing I cheated and then being happy about it, or living w/ myself, or having that in any way increase my self image.

Just my opinion.

X2

"Though she be but little, she is fierce" ~Shakespeare | Powered by HD Coaching | 2014 Wattie Ink Triathlon Team | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [kiki] [ In reply to ]

Mar 25, 13 16:03

Post #22 of 25 (7087 views)

Yeah, just look at this footage from the revised swim at Melbourne a couple of days ago... It wasn't that hard to see the buoys.

https://www.youtube.com/...ed&v=Iu6Oi5MUAcM

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [kiki] [ In reply to ]

Mar 26, 13 7:40

Post #23 of 25 (7004 views)

I did a half IM a few years ago where a person I know cut the course. the main portion of the run was a three loop section before heading back the final two miles to the finish. We past running towards each other during the loop section. I was a good half mile in front of this individual and they never gained any ground. This person never caught and past me. We should have crossed paths three times on the loop section but I only saw them twice. This person ended up running a 1/2 marathon PR by about 20 mins. I made a sarcastic comment to them about their new found speed but they just smiled and moved on. This person ended up taking second place in their age group. I emailed the RD but nothing came of it. Really pissed me off.

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [squid] [ In reply to ]

Mar 26, 13 9:35

Post #24 of 25 (6982 views)

I have seen a lot of man pacing the (drafting) woman on the bike, my DH has seen a lot of course-cutting on the run. I call out the drafters on the bike and make it a point to re-pass all drafters and litterers on the run. Passing the litterers (after I returned their dropped gel sachets) helped me run a PR marathon this month. ; )

Re: Have People Cheated In Races You've Done [Mr + Mrs C.C.] [ In reply to ]

Mar 26, 13 19:58

Post #25 of 25 (6912 views)

Mr + Mrs C.C. wrote:

At an IM race a couple of years ago, the course was a kind of "Y" shape. You rode a straight line first, then branched off to the left and came back, then branched to the right and came back. A woman riding in front of me stopped at the portaloo at the beginning of the left hand branch of the "Y". I continued on the left hand arm of the "Y". When I rode on to the right hand arm of the "Y" here was the same woman coming out of the right hand arm. She would have cut off about 20k's from her bike. NOT COOL and blatant and deliberate cheating!!

Crazy place to put a portaloo. You're almost asking people to cheat.

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