London Marathon Cheaters - let's do this

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  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    He's being honest on strava because his result would otherwise defy logic to any of his followers. Drop out great, but don't then take a medal and a time.

    I think he probably had a place in Yorkshire, got injured, mate ran it and got him a GFA so why not use it. 
  • tmholttmholt ✭✭✭
    As things stand, he has another GFA time now. Will he use that too?
  • nicko1981nicko1981 ✭✭✭
    If anyone can work out how to export results to a CSV or xls I can work some spreadsheet wizardry to find questionable results
  • In the old days, if someone cheated to get a GFA time, it was "sort of" victimless.

    Now there's a quota system, if someone cheats to get in, they'll likely be bumping off a runner who worked for months and strived to sneak a few seconds under their GFA qualifying time.
  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭
    I absolutely love this thread each year. Haha.

    I dropped out at halfway on Sunday and asked the nearest Marshall how to get to the tube. I couldn't nip over the barrier and rejoin the course as I'd have had about a 2 mile lead on Kipchoge :-D instead I was directed on the subway that's at the end of tower bridge so I could get to the nearest tube station.
    I'm astounded that people can actually jump the barrier unnoticed. 

    I ended up on the tube to St James park where I got a few funny looks. I did wonder if people thought I was cheating. As I walked into St James park you can cross the course to head to the baggage collection. There was only one Marshall at this point and Jonny Mellor had just passed on his way to running 2.17. I did think of how funny it would be if I went charging after him and Steve Cram wondering who the hell I was on the commentary. 


    Must be so easy to join back in there when the course is ram packed with runners. 
  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭
    How do you find all these runners? 
  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭
    Anyone seen the post on twitter about the chap who lost his number on his way round? Still had his chip on and as he approached the finish he was pulled from the course for not having a number. 

    Turns out a bloke (spectator) picked it up and ran into the finish and had his photo taken with the medal. He's now all over the Internet and the fella never got to finish his marathon after running 26.1 miles. Harsh! 
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    is that a link to this? I can't believe that there would be someone so opportunistic out there and I'm turn the number happened to fall into their hands,that they were prepared to pin it on and look like they were in running kit? 

    Yes I have 3.04.45 and 42...now anyone who gets in with a cheated GFA is potentially taking my place!
  • This is a fantastic thread - does anyone report these incidents to London Marathon? Both the out and out cheats like our friend Alex Bos and those running with another's bib/number?
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    I reported a couple last year that were still in the results after 7 days. they were removed within hours. 
  • I've reported 5 cases of individuals running with another's number but am doubtful any action will be taken
  • JoelDJoelD ✭✭✭
    How do you report people? It seems there are a fair few candidates on this thread already.
  • I emailed helpdesk@londonmarathonevents.co.uk, who responded saying it would be passed on to their entries team, but like I've said - I can't see much coming of it.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    I e-mailed that address with numbers of the relevant runners. I also provided an explanation as to why I felt they cheated and it wasn't a chip malfunction ie disappear at 25k (which is the most standard point) with a 2hr first half,reapper 15k later having covered it in world record time, but then slow right back down to old pace and take a medal.
  • GladragsGladrags ✭✭✭

    I give you...


    Christophe Georget 60614 - splits are 2.14/1.59 which don't look too crazy - except that he was slowing down and missed the 30k, 35k and 40k mats. The nail in his coffin is that he was running with a friend. Francoise Moutaillier 60673.And wouldn't you know it - she missed exactly the same mats and achieved exactly the same splits!

    V satisfying this.....

  • jtcedjtced ✭✭✭
    Can I ask how you everyone is finding these things out?  I’m fascinated and appalled that anyone would cheat, but intensely curious to the means by which such maybe-cheats are being identified.  Do tell :smiley:
  • Started reading this thread and having a good laugh,now it’s getting serious with people talking about computer wizardry and spreadsheets! My son and I ran together in 2012 and managed to wear each other’s bib, I’m just going up into the loft to find the t-shirt and medal and return them to Marathon Towers before the RW Witchfinder General sets upon me for my sins,lol!!
  • JoelDJoelD ✭✭✭
    > @dave wood 4 said:
    > Started reading this thread and having a good laugh,now it’s getting serious with people talking about computer wizardry and spreadsheets! My son and I ran together in 2012 and managed to wear each other’s bib, I’m just going up into the loft to find the t-shirt and medal and return them to Marathon Towers before the RW Witchfinder General sets upon me for my sins,lol!!

    I'm sharpening my pitchfork and will be round in a jiffy.
  • Hello Dave Wood - can I smell a little sarcasm?

    I get that many consider these things trivial and a victimless crime, but I have tried unsuccessfully for 8 years to get in via the ballot, and to see that some that have are abusing the privilege, or abusing the system by giving their entry to another is not on.

    Those who are now spending their own time for free to maintain the integrity of the sport, should be applauded not derided.
  • GladragsGladrags ✭✭✭


    thoughts on D Govier 8715?

    splits are 2.53/2.43 despite the fact that his 5k splits were slowing massively- he missed the 25k mat which is the one heading down the west side of the Isle of Dogs, but then hit the 30k one in Canary Wharf - maybe jumped the barrier near the roundabout and went straight up he ramp?

  • JoelDJoelD ✭✭✭
    > @RaceToast said:
    > Hello Dave Wood - can I smell a little sarcasm?
    >
    > I get that many consider these things trivial and a victimless crime, but I have tried unsuccessfully for 8 years to get in via the ballot, and to see that some that have are abusing the privilege, or abusing the system by giving their entry to another is not on.
    >
    > Those who are now spending their own time for free to maintain the integrity of the sport, should be applauded not derided.

    I don't think that Dave is deriding the cheat hunting, if I'm reading his post right both he and his son ran London together but they accidentally put on each others race number. If they truly ran together from start to finish then I don't see that there is much to complain about. They were both in the race anyway and I assume they ran identical times.
  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭
    Dave - there may well be genuine reasons like yours for discrepancies, and I'm sure the VLM gnomes will be doing the same as us (which is why the results are always put up as provisional in the first instance) and then will contact any runner with suspicious looking stats to ask for an explanation.  If you and your son ran together, presumably your times will be similar, and you won't have done anyone out of a place.  Not an issue.  But we will be checking.......

    2012 you say? >:)

    (One of my colleagues ran the local half.  She and her boyfriend collected their numbers together.  She ran c. 2:15, he ran 1:45.  He was gutted when he saw in the results that they had mixed up their numbers.  She was totally embarrassed when lots of people congratulated her on her time and she had to explain.)

    Gladrags - good spots!
  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭
    jtced said:
    Can I ask how you everyone is finding these things out?  I’m fascinated and appalled that anyone would cheat, but intensely curious to the means by which such maybe-cheats are being identified.  Do tell :smiley:

    Nessie said:
    http://results-2018.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/2018/?event=MAS&num_results=1000&pid=start&search[nation]=%&search_sort=place_nosex

    Click search without adding details, and you get a list of all finishers (except the elite, they are on a different tab.  I've checked them and they all seem legit ;)).  Then just scroll through to find any obvious discrepancies.  I got as far as page 13 - looked for anyone significantly over 2 hours for the first half but under 4 hours at the finish.  Then I got bored...... :smile:
  • Was it Mr I who had some kind of whizzy macro that spotted loads of dodgy times the other year ? 
    Great that the results page has the photos too. Good to put a face to a name. 
  • GladragsGladrags ✭✭✭

    yeah - gets dull after a while. Lots more odd splits which are down to people seeming to have an injury in the first half with one 5k split throwing the whole thing.

    Interestingly the DNS seem to be included - they have 47816 listed in total but the number of finishers was only just over 40000 wasn't it? Wonder how many of those 7500 or so deferred and will go onto run next year?

  • jtcedjtced ✭✭✭
    Is there a way to get the full thing in CSV form (including splits)?  Would be easy to analyse this using Excel... just need the data in a form that can be imported.

    I’m 50087 if anyone wants to give me the seal of (non-cheating) approval.  Or fancies a laugh ;-)
  • GladragsGladrags ✭✭✭

    I don't think there is a way to get all the data in one file? I've always just downloaded the results a page at a time. 1000 per page.


  • Regarding the Liverpool Running Club member. She and the club are saying she was injured and had to pull out. They dropped her at the finish and has emailed VLM. 

    Ive never heard of someone being dropped at the finish to cross the line. 
  • I've sucked down the results, and ran a quick search for runners with no 25/30k splits, but a finish time ( potentials for the classic cross over after Tower Bridge ). Get at 'em....

    9790 13274 14690 15794 19779 21338 23559 27655 34679 34900
    35768 37090 37340 37702 41068 42835 43032 43245 43766 44709 44921
    45105 46187 46678 47121 48452 48751 48778 49782 49808 50083 50416
    51453 53358 55528 56042 56304 57628 61680 61840 62658
  • DustinDustin ✭✭✭
    edited April 2018
    Thanks to all sleuths for brightening my lunchtime reading.
    I take my hat off to Liverpool's Abigail especially in what would be called a 'senior' role at the club.
    They didn't drop her at the finish, some of those photos are on Embankment and up towards Birdcage walk so she covered the last few km (hence the 40k split).
    Not exactly covering themselves in glory.

    I have in the past messaged VLM about rogue runners and they have annulled spoof results which may have been the result of multiple notifications. 


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