Ramon De La Rosa – Oakland Running Festival – Multiple Questionable Results

By
Derek
-
9
6473

Runner Has Multiple Questionable Times – Oakland Running Festival/San Jose Rock ‘N Roll 1/2 Marathon

I started investigating this based on a comment posted on the blog through a reddit post on Mike Rossi.

There’s been discussion about somebody named Ramon De La Rosa on the Mike Rossi Reddit discussion.

“I ran the Oakland Marathon recently and passed the same guy 3 times during the race (obvious when only a little over 10 people are in front of me). Look up “Ramon De La Rosa” and check out his splits. He crossed the finish line at 2:59:08. His 12.75mi split was 1:39:11 and his 19.1mi split was 00:00:00″

Additionally, according to another poster, his Oakland Marathon race times over the past few years have been:

2011 – 4:13
2013 – 3:06
2014 – 3:48
2015 – 2:59

In the Summer of 2014 he ran two half marathons, two months apart, where he ran 1:42 and then 1:23:49.

I haven’t looked too deeply into this but, if the poster who claims to have passed him 3 times is accurate, based on his times, he may be a serial cheater. He was 15th overall, second in his age group, BQ and his time for the 2015 Oakland Marathon is still in their results.



Ramon De La Rosa has run the Oakland Running Festival from 2011 through 2015. The last 4 years, he has missed the same split (19.7 mile).

His 2015 finish time is good enough to qualify for Boston.

The last 4 year finish times (with the same missed mat) are inconsistent with his 2011 time where he finished with a 4:34:02 time (and hit all the mats).
Details:

Oakland Running Festival Full marathon results
2015 2:59:08 missed 19.77 mi. mat
2014 3:48:04 missed 19.77 mi. mat
2013 3:06:54 missed 19.77 mi. mat
2012 3:01:18 missed 19.77 mi. mat
2011 4:34:02 registered splits at each mat.

Just looking at the 2015 results–his splits from where he missed the mat seem impossible for this runner.

6.2 Mi. 39:54         6:27/mi
12.75 mi. 1:39:11   7:47/mi

19.7 mi. Missed Mat
26.2 mi.   2:59:08   6:51/mi  5:57 intermediate pace for 13.45 miles


These splits, along with a runner’s claim that they passed Ramon twice – near the 6.2m check point and somewhere after the 19.7 check point, leads me to conclude that he cut some of the course prior to the 10k split, and at some point between 12.75 M and the finish.

I am not sure where he would have cut the course after the 12.75 mm. It is obvious that he did not run the full course. I would appeal to anyone that ran this race to offer insight as to the best way it might have been accomplished on this course. He missed the same mile marker 4 straight years. That is not a coincidence. And the splits that I laid out, further show that it was impossible that this time is legitimate.


Additional Notable Races
2014 San Jose Rock ‘N Roll San Jose Marathon – Half 1:23:49 missed 10 km split. I have also linked all of the photo pages below. This one in particular sticks with me. While not definitive proof of cheating–he does not seem to be in near the same physical condition of those around him. That’s him on the left.


For the 2014 San Jose Half marathon, his splits are below:

5k – chip verified      22:49    7:21 pace

10km – missed mat

10m   58:17       5:50 total pace/ 5:09 intermediate pace – calculated split from 5k.
Finish 1:23:49   6:23 total pace /8:15 intermediate pace

Combined with the missed mat, and the fact that he put up ridiculously fast splits, I can conclude that he did not run the full 13.1 miles with certainty.


Next steps/comments
  • Contact RD’s for disqualification. The evidence is conclusive.
Links

2015 Oakland Running Festival Course Map

9 COMMENTS

  1. That is obvious. He probably thinks it is funny. Honestly he looks like someone running a 5K.

    P in Alabama

  2. I can't believe that the race director will not only not be DQing him, but will allow him back at this year's race.

    What a joke!

    Keep up the pressure and maybe let the race director know about the Rossi thread on Letsrun if all else fails.

    Does this guy really want to be known as another Barb McKeever, simply because he is too lazy to do his job properly?

  6. I ran the 2015 Oakland Marathon and passed this runner twice. I sent an email to the Race Director and SVE Timing and never got a reply. It's hard to believe that his result is still listed. Here is some of the message I sent last March:
    I reported this via a web "correction" form on Sunday, but I am still seeing his result listed and I am certain these results are not valid. I passed this runner going up 51st St (easy to notice the bright orange compression socks). Then, I passed him again going from Broadway to Lake Temescal. I thought this was pretty strange, so I made a mental note of his bib number. I now realize that he must have shortcut the College Ave. to Claremont Ave. (and back) leg.

    I told myself I wouldn't do anything with this information unless he "placed" and affected a legitimate runner's results. I checked his results and he is currently #2 in the 35-39 age group. Looking at his splits, it appears that he did his first 13.1 in around 1:40 (with a Rockridge shortcut). Considering his 2:59:08 finish time, that means he ran his second 13.1 in under 1:20 and…. somehow missed the 19.7 timing mat (maybe he was running too fast). Please investigate the photographs or whatever data you have to assess this situation.

  7. The response I got from them was that they would not remove him from the results and that they asked me to check his results after the 2016 race. Ridiculous.

  9. During LA Marathon this year, a female runner waived at her girlfriend and shamelessly-loud saying "See you on the west side!" left the course… I wish I saw her Bib. I bet she qualified for Boston this year. My opinion: ALL Boston certified courses must have timing mats every 5K.

Comments are closed.