Comments

  • Rumours, not rumors. We're not bloomin' colonials!

  • This Guardian article isn't bad, but the real story is in the comments provided from some knowledgeable people who have obviously been following the story evolve over the last few weeks.

  • I thought The Guardian article was quite balanced.  

    Some of the LetsRun trolling by comparison has been horrific.  However, as skaterboi says there has also been high quality sleuthing and data crunching that a few people have done there.  

    It looks like some truly incredible feats of running have been claimed, like the 40 miles per day around 3hr marathon pace at 9000ft altitude suggested in the data put together by one of the LetsRun commentators here: http://imgur.com/dqITj4z.  

    So I'm also very surprised with the apparent defensiveness of Rob Young's team about the level of scrutiny in an age where it would only take 20 seconds a day to upload verifiable data to Strava. At best, that was incredibly naive, because there is no conceivable reason not to be transparent.    

    I believe RY has said on Facebook he will do the Sri Chinmoy 6 day race next year.  It will be interesting to see what kind of mileage he can put up when he is recovered.  

  • All strava tells you is that a GPS unit took a particular course and the speed it was doing.  If there's HR information with it then you know that someone took the same course, and you'll have some idea of the effort going on.  Doesn't tell you who it was though, and gps files can be manipulated to give faster speeds.

    To me, it seems that the people who do this kind of thing but publicise where they're going to be in advance and invite people along to do some of the running or riding with them are generally genuine, but the ones who do it behind closed doors, as it were, don't stand up to scrutiny.

  • Is this the third thread on him now ? Is this what you call a vendetta ?
  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭

    Is that the Walls ice cream vendetta, the 1980s dessert?

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    *clears throat*

    Just one vendetta, give eeeeet to meeeeee ... just one Vendetta, from Eetaleeee ....

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭

    If we vote "out" will the price of Vienettas go up? This could be vital in my decision making.

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭
    Millsy wrote (see)

    If we vote "out" will the price of Vienettas go up? This could be vital in my decision making.

    Either way, I think there are going to be a lot of ripples...

  • Cheerful Dave wrote (see)

    All strava tells you is that a GPS unit took a particular course and the speed it was doing.  If there's HR information with it then you know that someone took the same course, and you'll have some idea of the effort going on.  Doesn't tell you who it was though, and gps files can be manipulated to give faster speeds.

    To me, it seems that the people who do this kind of thing but publicise where they're going to be in advance and invite people along to do some of the running or riding with them are generally genuine, but the ones who do it behind closed doors, as it were, don't stand up to scrutiny.

     

     

    i think you have nailed it there

     

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    The Strava stuff is easily manipulated. For running feats just cycle along nice and slow.

    To smash a Strava section one needs the help of two people thus:

    1) Run to the start of the chosen sector.

    2) Hand over the device to a cyclist who operates at around 13mph for as long as it takes.

    3) The runner now gets a lift from a motorist who overtakes the cyclist and is now is position to take the device from the cyclist at the end of the sector.

    4) With the device, the runner carries on the cheat run.

    Easy.

    Would anyone really go that far? yup!

     

     

    🙂

  • He was running with a TomTom Runner 2 Cardio (or a pair of them) which records cadence as well as HR so it would be a fair bit of work to fake it but not impossible, and more likely the longer we wait to see it. Top cyclists upload rides from the continental tours almost as soon as they get off the bike at the end of the day. The Tour de Suisse had about 45 riders uploading I think including Alex Dowsett.

    I think RY is going to take some painful lessons away from this. Do you know he didn't even tell his support team he had started for the first 2.5h? Hardly surprising there is scepticism.

     

  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭

    Spot on Joe. If you upload the data as soon as you finish, with realistic pace, cadence and HR data it makes things a lot easier to believe. It's easy to do as well so why wouldn't you.

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭
    PhilPub wrote (see)
    Millsy wrote (see)

    If we vote "out" will the price of Vienettas go up? This could be vital in my decision making.

    Either way, I think there are going to be a lot of ripples...

    I see what you did there image

  • We really need a 'like' button on here.
  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    When you grow up as one of four brothers, you count the ripples.  It's the only way to do it fairly.

  • I think this is the sad thing. Whether by cheating or just being disorganised he's certainly created a situation in which people have been given the fuel to say he's cheating.

  • Mehh. In the light of the last few weeks cheating and mistruths - this is amateur stuff.
  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    Yeah, don't panic.  The referendum results are a massive fib. Robert Young's got the real results listed on his TomTom and it's a landslide for Remain.  He's publishing the results, erm, soon. image

  • He has uploaded a ton of data to Strava now if anyone wants to peruse...

     

    https://www.strava.com/activities/617303559/overview

     

    is a particularly impressive session. image

  • There is no hiding now. Even if the data has been manipulated the truth will out by comparison with future performances. That 25.5 miles in 2h25m at 7-9000 ft amid 70 mile days would suggest a comfortable marathon of what, 2h20m when fresh and recovered? If he can knock that out then hats off to the guy. 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    So obviously aided by taking transport from his van it's not even funny.

    That'd take a phenomenal athlete to do that as a solo run, let alone as a tiny part of the overall stable of work.
    The pallid, untoned, slightly bellied chap of the pictures does not look to be in that boat.

  • Mr PuffyMr Puffy ✭✭✭

    Pallid? So if he'd only rubbed on a bit of fake tan he'd have got away with it...;-)

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    pallid- pale, typically because of poor health.

     

    I.e. doesn't fit in with some incredible athletic performances.

     

  • These are his stats from his website:

    5km 15:56  and 16:59 during a Marathon (london marathon first 5km 17:31)
    10km 30:47 – 33:52 during a Marathon (london marathon first 10km 36:31)
    24hrs 141 miles
    200 miles 38hrs 43mins
    350 miles 75hrs 29mins
    373.75 miles (601.49 km) 88 hrs 17 mins without sleep
    3100 Miles RAUSA Race 482hrs 10mins
    2015 Winner USA transcontinental Race

     

    None of his pb's are on Power of 10. He did run a 17.31 first 5k at VLM 2015 yet ran 31.52 for 35-40k!

    Can any of his achievements be believed?

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