A - You outrun all but two other people.
B - You take a bus for 10k of the 26.2, and conveniently hop back onto the course right before the finish line (making sure to do so only after runner 1 and 2 have passed, because cheating to win would be too obvious).
C - You find a way to get some obscure IAAF rule changed so that only people with your last name are eligible for third place.
So, folks, which of these things actually happened last weekend at the Kielder Marathon?
 |
| Source: The Telegraph. For original story, see link below. |
According to The Telegraph, Rob Sloan (age 31) initially expressed shock at the allegations of cheating. In fact, to make things more surreal Sloan...
"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."No, dude. Laughable is your attempt to claim a marathon was "unbelievably tough" when you skipped six miles of it, hid in the woods, and jumped back on the course when you thought the coast was clear!
After race organizers launched an investigation, Sloan finally admitted to taking a bus to finish.
He has now been disqualified from the race and stripped of his medal. The race organizers have issued a press release summarizing the event.
What sort of penalty do YOU think there should there be for this kind of cheating? Suspension from running events? A fine? Tar and feathers?
Wow, that's UNbelievable! Minimally, I think he should be banned from that organization's future races. If I were him, I would be so freakin embarrassed that I don't think I would race again, period.
ReplyDeleteI just don't get what motivates people to do this. Are a medal and a prize really worth knowing that you didn't actually run the full course? I think he should be banned from other events by that organization.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the point of cheating?? How can he live with himself? The whole point of running is not to win, but to struggle and persist. He should definitely be banned.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand how he ever thought that he could get away with it. Don't they have timing chips in Britain? Didn't he realize someone would see him on that bus? He should be embarrassed!
ReplyDeleteThe guy should be completely embarrassed. He didn't break any laws or anything he 'only' cheated. I would think a ban from this race and any other races that this promoter puts on would be enough. He's going to have to live with the negative press that he created for himself.
ReplyDeleteI found this story sooo infurtiating. I read in one article that his running club was holding the decision about whether or not to ban him from their club "under advisement." How is that something that becomes "under advisement?" That should be an automatic ban from running clubs and races. It's truly shameful.
ReplyDelete