Suspicious Boston Qualifying Result for Team Lean.Strong.Fast Founder/Coach

1. "But I ran a marathon, on my own, up and down the highway, and it was fast enough I swear, that should totally count!" What planet is he on?

2. Exactly!

3. I looked at his Athlinks and it is very odd that there isn't ONE single race to support that 3:05. And this guy races a lot. Add to that the fact that no one in that same time range seemed to have any technical difficulties with the mats and it all seems fishy. I wish some of the race photo sleuths would weigh in on this.

4. He looks like to be reasonably healthy, why not simply train hard for a year or two and post a legitimate qualifier? I hope some other details come out which validate his time. I hate to see runners cheat when it seems they could realistically run the necessary qualifying time with just a little hard work…

5. Funny..he didn't warm up so he ran 8:49 through 6 miles. He hit the next 18 miles at a blazing 6:23 pace. Yet it took him 12 minutes and 3 seconds to get from the 40k mat to the finish, which is about about 8:35 pace. With the finish line in sight he decided to just jog it in? Give me a break.

6. Not take, TOOK. He ran this year's Boston Marathon from the first wave with this result.

7. in the photos he is seen ahead of Bib 2870 who ran 3:06:07 chip 3:07:27 gun
   bib 2870 hits 40k at 10:33:27am and he hits it at 10:33:17am. So he starts after 2870, jogs a warmup, floors it, and passes 2870 (or jumps in ahead of) at some point in the photo likely around 40K, then 2870 finishes ahead. Good job 2870. Unlikely other guy.

8. What made you suspect him to begin with?

9. Initially it was from emails I received from other runners. We would have come across him as part of the 2016 Boston results review. His result was flagged based on his Boston result being significantly different than what would be expected given his qualifying time.

10. How are you connected to the BAA? Are you sanctioned for these types of investigations? I am interested in running the BM one day and would like to be clear about how BQs are verified.

    I hope you can share your knowledge of the system.

11. I am not affiliated with the BAA. We independently review the results and report them to the RD's as appropriate. There was an article in Runner's World that gives a good recap of the process, as well as some posts on this blog – look for the posts titled 'Boston Project' Thanks

12. Wow. 3:29 for the last 1.1 mile. Isn't that a new world record? Maybe run 2 miles and bike 1.1? I still would like to see this guy data from an official 5k race. Not something that comes out of a unicorn's butt.

13. The numbers don't add up, and he's probably going to take the bib out of the hands of a deserving runner.

14. He cheated.

15. Someone in his position would be likely be keeping all his run data, especially for the 3:05:37 PR by 2+ No?

16. It would appear that although Marlon is very athletic, achieving a Boston qualifying time was beyond his physical reach as a runner. NJ marathon likely presented the best opportunity to clip those limitations (just look at the course map) and fill out the coach/trainer dream of running Boston … checking it off the list.

17. Another likely cheater! Makes my blood boil. And it appears he is misleading so many people into believing that he is something that he is not! Shame on him.

18. What a cheater! He actually didn't pick up the pace towards the end. If you look at his last 1.37 miles, he has a similar pace to the beginning of the race 8:48.

19. It looks like that graph only shows about 2.4-2.5 miles, and that the "ran 3.1 miles" could have been photo shopped.

20. That graph looks consistent with how it would look if you manually adjusted the run data.

21. My thoughts exactly. He is wearing a watch at every race…so if this isn't true, provide your stats and shut down the investigation.

22. In the midst of everything else, the last 2k is the only part I can find believable. I've done races where in those final miles, a muscle that's been irritated for the whole day finally tears. If something like that happened, I can see him limping the final 2k. But it's everything else that looks fishy.

23. The mile 3 split is manually entered. Notice the "time" area shows 0.00 for time meaning there is no run time, the data was entered manually. Obviously he is incapable of running a 16:43 5k. Look at the world record holders, no one takes the first two miles easy at 6+ minute pace then hammers out a last 1.1 mile in 3:29. Impossible.

24. Derek, if you can share what information did the emails from other runners contain that caused you to suspect him? Did any other runners have missing data at those same marks??

25. I did not see any other runners missing those mats. The other runners noticed the missing mats and the fact that the missing time was significantly faster than the rest of the race (or comparable times). They also pointed out the photos – he does not have photos from some locations. I didn't go that deep, but it appears from what I can tell he only has photos early on, and at the finish. But I need to verify the exact locations before I say anything definitively. Also, he was pretty high on the 'flagged' list. So, I would have reviewed his time anyways.

26. Yes, I agree. But it's awfully coincidental that his first 10k pace is very close to his final 1.2 mile pace which is in line with his PR marathon pace. The guy is clueless about running and it just shows with all these fake numbers and fake stories that he gives about his pacing.

27. I think you all have to realize not everyone runs in these "races" to win, PR or post the best time in their age group. A lot of people run for numerous other reasons. A test of your fitness, achieving life goals, supporting others just to name a few. From my nowledge of Marlon and "THIS IS TOTALLY MY OPINION". Marlons life work isn't embodied in 1 Boston Qualifier or The Boston Marathon itself. He runs and uses the sport to help people create a healthy lifestyle. Through that people have reconstructed their own lives. They have happier demeanors, healthier relationships, stronger self confidence, greater desire to achieve more goals they have set for themselves or take on in their careers. A lot of people run 5K's, 10K's, half or full marathons for fun or call them training runs. But they're not Boston Qualifiers they are the average runner. I completed 2015 NJ marathon at 5:51. After a year of training and losing 45 pounds I completed 2016 at 4:41. Do you question my times or runners like me in the bottom percentage of the running community? Or only when we become Boston qualifiers? Bottom line is everyone who starts the race isn't a runner no matter what your finish time is 26.2 miles changes you. When you cross the finish line your a motivator, a leader, a achiever, a role model for everyone who supports you. If you know Marlon you would never question his time in any race. You would question why you didn't meet him sooner and have more time to become better from knowing him.

28. This so outrageous. Someone posted a link to this investigation in a predominantly black running group (where Marlon gets a lot of his clients) and the post was removed by the admins. Shame on them! Just a quick search shows that they have freely discussed other cheaters. Why not him? I hope the black community does not try to protect this guy. Marlon, you can end this now. POST YOUR GARMIN DATA for the race. We know you have it. You've hashtagged them enough.

29. Same thing I was thinking, Nike plus can be easily manipulated.

30. I agree! Yes Shame on them! Let the truth and the fact be known! A cheater never wins know matter how hard they try.

31. What's more unsettling is you all are ready to contact Newton to have him removed based on this! Shame on you all…..

32. Mr. Watson:

    No one is questioning that Marlon has done good things. And no one is saying that you need to qualify for Boston in order to be a motivator, leader, achiever, role model, etc. But in this case it's obvious that he lied. He brought this on himself through his actions. Perhaps he should take responsibility for that, and perhaps you should wonder why someone you're calling a role model would stoop to cheating, and taking a spot in the Boston Marathon from someone who legitimately qualified.

33. Dear Tavis Watson – ABSOLUTELY!!!

34. The point here is that HE LIED about his qualifying time for Boston. No one is questioning his ability to be a motivator for others they are questioning his infraction of lying on his qualifying time to run Boston. There are strict guidelines and time criteria to run Boston which he did not meet. He lied. That is the point of this investigation. No one is questioning his ability of making people "happy". A cheater never wins….no matter how nice he/she is.

35. Tavis, no one should blindly follow anyone. The integrity of the person you admire should matter. Have you looked at the evidence above? Have you looked at your role model's responses? I implore you to look at the evidence and add up the math. If it doesn't change how you view him, then cool. But you can't look at the math and dispute that he is not the person/runner/ he claims to be.

36. Shame on us?! Shame on him! He is the one who lied…..

37. I agree with Tavis 100%….. and this is being blown up way more than it should be. Leave that man alone.

38. But did he lie? An investigation is just that, an investigation….yet in this realm he's guilty before he's able to prove his innocence… I'm not questioning derek and his intentions, he's doing his job but some of you commenters seem overly passionate about this seems like some of you are out for blood…sounds personal… let's at least give him the oppty to clear his name. But not for nothing I bet that wouldn't suffice for some of you.

39. Uncovering wrong doing is definitely not "unsettling." Lying however is, especially for those of us who love our sport and the integrity which is integral to it.

40. So lying and cheating is OK with you?

41. My point is you all have him GUILTY! ChillAx – self appointed judge and juries

42. This one seems a bit less conclusive than the other people this blog has highlighted. Donnellys? Patriot Runner? Planet-Tours entrants? Wild Mountain Runners Club? Obvious frauds, kudos for exposing them, and may they never show their faces in public again.

    This guy at least looks like he could run 3:05 on a good day. 3:41 to 3:05 is doable with dedication and a plan.

    That said, these numbers don't add up at all, and Mr. Bascombe conveniently seems to run his fastest when the GPS watch is turned off, when no one's around, or when the timing mats are malfunctioning. Looking at the evidence, I *think* it's more likely than not that he cheated, but I feel less certain at this point.

    As for Tavis — you're missing the point entirely. This post is just to figure out whether Bascombe cheated his way into Boston. If he did, that's a serious matter and it takes a spot from a legitimate qualifier. If he's otherwise a good person and helping a lot of people, good for him. People can dispute how Lance Armstrong's amazing work for cancer patients weighs against his cheating at his sport to further that work, but that doesn't mean it was wrong to investigate his cheating in the first place.

43. I feel like this website is being misunderstood. Nobody is trying to call out people saying they are awful humans. The point is to stop people from cheating themselves and taking spots from runners that truly deserved to be there. Everyone will make mistakes in life but if I ran a marathon and cut the course and only run 10 miles then I'm a cheater and that's not a mistake. These people need to apologize and they are not fit to be motivators or brand ambassadors

44. *grabs popcorn

45. It is personal because I have friends that qualified for Boston and didn't get in

46. Leave that man alone? People train all their lives to qualify for Boston. Some make it and run, some qualify and are left out because of people like this.

47. Revising my previous comment.

    I Have not yet been able to find anyone else with missing splits. I am analyzing the photos. Most are at the finish- pre/finish.

    There are ones with a temporary fence – I have determined those to be at about the 40k mark. I have found photos of other runners together at that spot and matched times to determine when they would be near each other to determine this.

    There is also a photo of Marlon with another runner – bib 2870 – they had near identical 40k times, but Marlon was behind him at the 10k mark – indicating this photo was also taken near the 40k mark. Bib 2870 finished 2 minutes before Marlon.

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49. This site is really just a click bait running TMZ! Anyone else thinks its funny that someone is spending their life chasing after people for a $300 race. Congrats to your 300,000 views! I am looking forward to the next click bait crap article!

50. What you're saying is both lovely and irrelevant. I, and lots of others, support all the amazing people who commit to running for so many varied reasons and we applaud them no matter what their finish time is — AS LONG AS THEY ACTUALLY RUN THE RACE THEMSELVES AND COMPLETE THE COURSE.

51. the mark of a true sociopath

52. when you can't dispute the content, just resort to ad hominem insults.

53. I think investigations should be done to prevent cheating. But your most convincing argument is that his splits look strange? I've run quite a few races and there were many where i didn't make it into the camera shot. You all are a blood thirsty and angry bunch with pent up emotions for someone you never even met. We're NOT blind followers. Each of you vouch for certain people in your lives. We vouch for Marlon, a person we actually know. So show proof, not flags, before marking him guilty.

54. Nobody likes a cheater.

    With that being said I would like to know what the point of your website is exactly? It would be one thing if you were hired to work alongside the BAA and other running organizations to catch people cheating and report them and let these organizations deal with it privately or how they see fit, but you are not doing that. What you are doing is serving as judge, jury and executioner outing people whether they cheated or not based off of your "analysis". This is akin to cyber bullying, harassment and somewhat blackmail. Let the race organizers do THEIR job in dealing with people who the freak are you to do this?

    As someone who admits that they would never qualify to get into Boston and "prefers" to run longer distances, you sound a little bitter and disgruntled. Most of the people that you "out" run faster than you on a bad day. You risk ruining more than just a race result but peoples livelihoods and leaving them open for cyber bullying. And there will come a time when you "out" the wrong person and will have to face some sort of legal action of your own. Its a race, get a grip.

55. Those splits don't look strange, they look implausible. He has never run a documented event anywhere near that speed. He barely ran that fast for the 5th Avenue Mile, let alone for 18.6 miles. Find another runner in that race who missed two consecutive timing mats, let alone one whose pace accelerated ridiculously during that time. Does that really seem like a coincidence to you? Stop making excuses or "vouching" for Marlon, and acknowledge that your friend made a mistake.

56. The post is still there. Lets not start this crap.

57. Hahaha

58. But there are countless cases including this one where the race organizers don't do their job. That's why what Derek is doing is important. If you have a factual basis for arguing with his post, then by all means state it. If you have an example of him falsely accusing someone, then by all means state it.

59. It's just a race. There are so many other IMPORTANT issues going on in the world that need to be discussed. Who cares.

60. Important? WTF? Pls stop.

61. But there are countless cases including this one where the race organizers don't do their job.

    THEY ARE doing their job, they just dont publish this crap. Again, this is stupid. Sad that people cheat and if the guy did well then let BAA deal with it.

62. What this is doesn't remotely qualify as "important" it's public shaming, bullying and so uncalled for. Let the race directors do their job, they've been doing it for decades without this kind of crap.

63. Agreed. It is just a race, and much like many other races, if you're not elite, then only the participants care about it. So why cut courses, switch bibs, have people run for you, etc for JUST a race? There are plenty of races out there where you can just pay your money and run. Why go through all the hassle of cheating if it's JUST a race?

64. Agreed that combating ISIS is more important topic. If you do not care, don't participate in this discussion. Simple as that But people spend a lot of time, energy & emotion trying to get into Boston and they should not be denied entry because someone gained entry through fraud — and that is what it is. The running community has an interest in that so I suspect many support these efforts. And in this instance, there is about a .001% chance that the numbers do not demonstrate he cheated.

65. Marlon is probably a really great guy and is clearly very motivational to many people. It looks like he's gotten a lot of individuals to work hard to achieve things they believed they couldn't. No short-cuts. Do the work and the reward will come. Unfortunately it looks like he may have taken a short-cut himself. He may have said "who really cares … who will even notice … it's a qualifying race". People notice because for Boston some people (not unlike those he works with) work hard to shave their times to try and get there … and it may still not have been enough.

66. If they were doing their job, there wouldn't have been people in the Boston Marathon who later admitted to cheating, thanks to Derek's work. If he wants to do this, let him. Clearly some people appreciate it. If you don't, then ignore it.

67. and people have been cheating and getting away with it for decades. I, for one, would like to see that stop, and welcome any efforts to make that happen.

68. Is your standard for every website that it must qualify as "important"? Your browser's history must be a very short list. And I don't think you understand the meaning of "bullying." Calling someone's results "suspect" does not qualify. [pun intended]. And the author has removed posts where the offender has owned up to his/her "mistake" (i.e. intentional misrepresentation). So that solves your horror at any "public shaming."

69. lol, the crybaby generation. Someone says something you don't like and it's "bullying".

    Their Great Grandfathers stormed the beach at Normandy and they can't handle (well deserved) criticism on the internet

70. Looks like he could run a 3:05? Any marathoner knows at that level you would easily find evidence to support the time. If he were capable of that pace there would be a race record to prove it. Athlinks shows he can't even compete a 5k race at that pace. Some people just can't deal with the truth. I'm sure he's a great guy….. who sold himself out to say he ran Boston.

71. Derek Oxley
    If I'm striving to gain entrance into Boston and I don't BQ Derek's work is not going to change that fact! Nor will it change my goals, integrity or character. I'm always curious about motivation though. What causes someone to target someone's claims true or false. Is it just for the point of the public shaming, what do you get out of it in the end? I do find the disclosure interesting along with anonymous posters especially the post about black running groups. Let's be clear character honor and integrity doesn't come in colors #ownit

72. I believed this is a blog that discusses possible cheaters. If you want to discuss other world issues then you are at the wrong site. CNN, MSNBc, or FOX news is where you need to go.

73. most of you on here complaining probably will never come close to qualifying for Boston or would even put in the effort to get into NYC. i hear a lot of "real runners" and no "I's". LOL. too funny.

74. I qualified and ran Boston 6 times. I qualified, not on a lottery, and ran NYC twice.

75. Hi Derek, If you read the initial Boston Project, I think it states my main motivation. Initially it was curiosity and wanting to raise overall awareness in the running community. It certainly wasn't to shame. I identified over 50 runners that cheated to enter Boston 2015..only a handful had articles written about them.

    Raising awareness that even bib swapping is wrong – like I did with the Gia Alvarez, will prevent some runners from taking that chance.

    I write the articles where I think it's appropriate. There was a website owner that was profiting off of his running. I wrote an article, he admitted to cutting, and actually shut his site down – I never demanded he do anything. At that point, per his request, I took down all mentions of him.

    I removed a bunch of older articles prior to getting the publicity from the RW article because I didn't think those runners deserved added attention.

    I did not call out the runners from the running club that had another member run for them.

    Marlon is free to respond how he wants, or not at all. But I've only posted the facts.

    I tend to leave most comments up-the only ones I removed are the ones calling for people to contact his sponsors.

    I do appreciate your willingness to post using your real identity. And I don't think it's black/white. I can appreciate his friends standing up for his character.

76. You mean like Marlon?

77. No. I never missed a timing mat like Marlon.

78. As someone who qualified and ran Boston and also fought terrorism…..I support Derek. If he enjoys doing the research have at it. I know many people who push themselves to the very edge of their abilities to get a chance at Boston. Then a guy like this steps in and steals spot. It's just race this is true but it's the race that carries a bit more weight. It would be a non issue if he were only cheating himself but with this race it actually cheats another runner out of a spot.

79. I'm a 1:26 half marathoner, 18:08 5k runner, sub 5 hour 50k runner and lots more…I never trained for Boston until this year, So you're right, most of us here are pretty slow. What upsets me is people like him are getting sponsors and are trusted by others when they seem like they are cheating.

80. Well said! He might be a great person and motivator but don't go showing off how good you are when it seems like you are not

81. While I'm not part of his group, I have had a chance to train with Marlon a little and have seen him race. He's physically legit in terms of speed, stamina, and technique. If you actually see him run, it's a no-brainer he can run a qualifying time for Boston. I'm agnostic in terms of personal feelings, don't know him that well and how he helps others doesn't fit into this discussion (although he spends many races pacing people in his group to sub-2s and sub 4s, which probably accounts for slower times). I just go by the eye test (how fast he runs) and he passes that easily. While nothing would shock me these days, he's innocent until proven guilty beyond just the timing guffaws. Perhaps bibs of runners with similar time in more of his races can be compared to tell the tale.

    Also, I agree that integrity is key in all sports. But it shouldn't be bloodlust at the slightest irregularities. Take a deep breath, get more info, then decide. I'll bring a torch IF he's guilty because he does a lot of good and cheating diminishes that good.

82. I ran the NJ Marathon in 2015 and pulled up my photos and compared them to his. He only has photos from the end of the course and there were TONS of photographers along the entirety of the course last year. I have double the amount of photos of me on MarathonFoto (awful photos, I might add, but photos none the less). I was also in the very dense middle of the pack, and he should have been in the less crowded front of the pack, meaning even more photo opportunities for him. I also remember thinking how easy it would be to cut the course when I ran it- lots of loops and doubling back (of course you would miss the timing mats if you did this).

83. I'm a college football and basketball fan. I've seen many website expose's and forum threads about: – a certain player who regularly got away with illegal blocks, – a college basketball player who travels every time but doesn't get called, – and college athletes who were kept eligible through academic fraud, and other issues.

    I don't recall anyone claiming the athlete was getting bullied or that they should get away with it because they were a good student or a nice guy. Everyone understands that scrutiny comes with playing an official sport in public.

    Marlon was an officially registered competitor in a public race. His splits and his stories make no sense. The most reasonable conclusion is that he cheated. He might be a great guy and great at whatever he does, but he cheated in a marathon. He's fair game for criticism for what he did in the public race.

84. I find it odd that a black running group who has other marathon investigation articles on there would just remove it. It could have been that multiple people posted the same article or that the person posted it removed it. I wouldn't jump the gun on the fb group

85. No reasonable runner could conclude he's capable of the 3:05 or 3:07. The seemingly doctored 5K is the nail in the coffin. Who races all the time yet sets all their PRs during training runs and without GPS data?
    Keep up the good work!

86. Nobody here disputes Marlon is a great guy. A mentor, a coach and being a coach myself I know the meaning of leading by example. Teach those under my guidance not to cheat and play fair. The data just does not support it. What's sad is the data he supplied on the 5k he supposedly ran in 16 minutes show a distance of a little over 2 miles. You probably think the Boston marathon is just a race. Tell that to David Martinez and Rachel Scott. These 2 missed the cutoff by 1 second for 2016. Next time you see Marlon, ask him how he feels now?

87. Derek I appreciate you taking the to respond to my comments, my question about motivation wasn't directed at you but, at those that brought the information to you-is this another coach or someone that has an axe to grind. I don't know and there's no need to answer the question. And as far the issue being blk/wht I see that that post has been deleted-so thank for your objectivity.

88. So, Christine, if Marlon is to be believed then he:
    Just happened to run a MASSIVE PR that is totally out of line with every other race result he has ever run at any distance and by some weird coincidence he timing chip malfunctioned for two of the timing mats that by some weird coincidence just happened to be in the section of the race in which he ran improbably fast and oddly enough he seemingly has no data from GPS or otherwise to prove he ran the whole distance. Also no pictures of himself on the course in the middle section where he had the supposedly chip malfunctions and ran faster than he has shown himself to be capable of.
    Also, after this massive marathon PR he then again ran much much slower at the actual Boston Marathon where he did not have a chip malfunction and has photos from the race course.
    What an unlucky guy to have a weird chip malfunction, no GPS data, no photos of the middle section all during this one marathon where he just somehow ran faster than his 5K race pace for nearly 20 miles. That, or he cheated.
    Might be a great person and a great friend, but that doesn't mean he ran the full distance at the NJ Marathon

89. How easy it is to say stop making excuses and having poor anger management as an anonymous commenter. Everyone is keyboard hero these days. Let me ask you two a question. Have you EVER even run New Jersey? Probably not. You just like to get mad. I ran in 2015 and 2016. There's volunteers, staff and officers everywhere. Even after the half marathoners split from the marathoners and the field gets pretty isolated, you're never alone. I know because I had to keep on peeing and the porta potties were too far apart. And there was no way in hell I was able to duck anywhere and relieve myself.

    And yes, this is the equivalent of cyber bullying and harassment. It's also slander and he will be sued for destroying and innocent athlete's reputation eventually.

    The RDs do their own investigation, but they don't post all this stuff. Who made you judge, jury, and executioner?

90. but he wont be sued for this story… ask yourself why?

91. Why wouldn't he…Anonymous?

92. One was a random person that came across his Instagram and found the times questionable when they looked them up.

    The other was more vague.

    I have received tips on other runners where I know its personal. That wasn't the case here.

93. All I've done is post the facts. Look at them objectively and make your own determination. Look at the article and please find one place where I say something that isn't factual. you can't be guilty of defamation if it's the truth.

94. The problem here is that Derek is the self- appointed judge, jury, and executioner. He's also a self- governing board where accused athletes have to contact him to clear their name. He can be a so-called watch dog without publicizing people's names and photos and declaring whether they're cleared or if their article should stay up or not. Was there a reason to do this instead of contacting BAA and NJ and letting them handle it? Now people are personally attacking him and intent on getting his sponsor taken away from him. Nice job, Derek.

95. Ummmmmm…I have run a race he was in the same field in back in September of 2014. Met him as we were both in the BMR NYC group. He ran slower than me as he was with running with a fellow BMR member. The Nike+ 5K pic would indicate to me that he is probably a cheater

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97. And here was me thinking that when you got to Marlon's age you started to slow down, not true, he's getting quicker according to the clock, unfortunately his times just ain't legit.

    Time to come clean Marlon, it's the only way.

98. So Mike, which of my race times are questionable?

99. Nobody here disputes Marlon is a great guy. A mentor, a coach and being a coach myself I know the meaning of leading by example. Teach those under my guidance not to cheat and play fair. The data just does not support it. What's sad is the data he supplied on the 5k he supposedly ran in 16 minutes show a distance of a little over 2 miles. You probably think the Boston marathon is just a race. Tell that to David Martinez and Rachel Scott. These 2 missed the cutoff by 1 second for 2016. Next time you see Marlon, ask him how he feels now?

100. Hey Christine, I'm actually not angry at all. Not sure you can say the same.
     It doesn't matter if there are many people around, it is not hard to duck off a course. No one is going to make you return to the road and keep running.
     It is also not hard to slip back in. Since he has a 40K he would have reentered the race over a mile before the finish line area and he wouldn't have been near the lead pack. Likely he was seen slipping back into the route and no one thought anything off it.
     Please try to keep any personal insults in future comments to a minimum. This is a great place for honest discussion and no need to ruin that. Thanks in advance.

101. Why do you keep deleting my comments? If you are all about fair play and justice? Why do you censor the conversation?

     I said in a post on the RW article that I heard rumors of you having questionable times. Nothing more. I have a job and a family along with my running, so I don't have time to look through everyone one of your race results. If I was wrong, I apologize. (I was accused of being a cheater on the RW site as well, but I know my times are solid so I don't care)

     I do appreciate you removing my last name. While I give full permission to post on the RW site in the comments section, I didn't give you that permission, and you didn't have to, but thanks.

     Look, I may have been too harsh on you. I don't agree with a large part of your work at all, and never will. I don't agree with the public shaming aspect of what you do or trying to create an internet shame that will haunt people for life. There have been other people before your who have done what you do, but they don't treat it as a path to fame. I have no problem with you doing the work and reporting it to RDs. I really don't.

     what bothers me most, is the intentionally trying to bring someone down without due process. People have to "prove" their innocence. That's not right to me.

     And from the comments here and other places, I am not alone in that feeling.

     I have been a runner for 30 years, I have BQed 3x and I missed out once because my cutoff time wasn't fast enough. The cheaters have NO, ZERO impact on my running….never have, never will. I don't understand that mentality. running has always been personal to me about challenging myself, not winning AG awards or getting in a race.

     So, I will lay off the "having no life" and other critical comments. you feel that what you do brings value to the running community and others seem to agree. Peace

102. Where did I put a personal insult? Interesting, you seem to know a lot about cheating.

103. People post all sorts of comments. You reply and they don't like it and then it's an insult. They can dish it but can't take it.

104. You asked me to delete my comment – I did – the replies went with it. I've left most others if they have been remotely related.

     And of course you are not alone..but the majority have been supportive. A much higher percentage than I expected. All of the Race directors I've talked to have been appreciative.

     Also since my posts have been getting more attention, I've been much more selective on what I post.

     And I do reach out to those that I post on. I reached out to Marlon as well as others.

105. http://web2.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/htmlos.cgi/24157.1.4152464976587995309

     Is he getting older though? According to that he was 29 in December 2008, 35 in June 2009, and dropped back to 33 yrs old in January 2014.

106. Sorry; I wasn't clear. By "looks like he could," I just meant that of all the fraudsters passing themselves off as BQ marathoners, Bascombe at least looks the part more than most others do. I don't mean to suggest that I can tell by looking at him whether he's fast or not.

     I agree with you–the evidence in this post is fairly damning, and if he were capable, he would almost certainly have some evidence of his own. Most of my doubts go away when I look at athlinks.

107. given how fast he ran those middle 18 miles, i hope he goes out and runs a 2:50ish marathon, which should be a can of corn for him. that would silence the critics.

108. Christine, you called me a "keyboard hero" in a derogatory way. It was meant as an insult and did not contribute to meaningful discourse.
     You also accuse others of bullying, harassing, slandering (it would actually be libel as it is print but that is a moot point because everyone in the blog is a fact). You also noted "interesting, you seem to know a lot about cheating" which can only be an insinuation that I am a cheater.
     Classic distraction techniques as well as the tried and true "attack the messenger". You really haven't addressed the evidence because there is not a plausible scenario that explains your friend's time at the NJ Marathon. Another classic defense attorney trick: if you can't refute the evidence against your client, simply ignore it.
     It is noble that your first reaction is to blindly support your friend. However, you should really have an honest talk with the man. It is for his own good.
     Peace.

109. Ironic that this 'article' was published after our amazing race on Sunday!! Nothing here is factual …
     As the Master rightly says: “No one throws stones at barren trees.”
     #playonhaters

110. Nike app can be changed after a run. I once did my run and forgot to turn it off and was then able to go back and change the time.

111. Nobody is stressed, the only person that should Chillax is Marlon, who obviously cheated to boost his own ego. When there is ZERO evidence someone ran a certain time, no photos, no split data, no training!, and edited information they are guilty – no reason for a judge or jury. The truth hurts.

112. What is not factual? I posted data from the race – data he sent me, data from his strava. If I got anything wrong, I will be the first to admit it and issue a retraction.

113. I wonder if his customers could sue Marlon for false advertisement/mis-representing himself?

114. another post brought to you courtesy of Mike Rossi.

115. and yet you haven't rebutted a word that was written. Because you can't. No one else in the race missed all the mats from 10k to 40k. Your hero made a big mistake. Now he should be a big man and admit it. There's a difference between hating and stating the truth.

116. Someone has evidence that a murderer killed someone, but they aren't going to give it because that's the cops job. Just let the cops do their job and stop providing evidence! wheeeooo we got logic for days.

117. Yes nice job Derek! Please continue to post detailed, objective, and irrefutable evidence of obvious cheaters so that legitimate, hard working, honest runners don't have their races stolen.

118. "No one throws stones at barren trees"
     i.e. no one throws a stone at a tree they don't think they can get fruit from…
     i.e. Derek wouldn't be blogging about this if he didn't think he could out a cheater…
     you might want to work on your choice in quotes.

119. Christine – you come across wayyyyy too angry to be taken as anything but a sheep defending someone who you know to be a cheat. Doesn't matter if the website is sanctioned by BAA, or not, the data shows what it shows. Try reason rather than blind anger and those of us open to an explanation would listen.

120. what a bizarre response – "some day" but not this day? Ironic that you claim someone needs to get a grip for posting data that shows what looks to be a cheat, but you spend time reading and posting in response. I appreciate the blogger, not the ostrich

121. People have used this site to try to ruin people. They have bern called all sorts of names — some vulgar.

122. bullying and holding someone accountable are two very different things. If you are a cheat, you should be personally called out and should lose sponsorship when it is based on a lie. I have yet to see anyone defend this guy with data rather than name calling, whining, and playing the victim card.

123. at the end of the day if you want to track runners knock yourself out. HOWEVER if the race organizers are not questioning time or banning runners you should hold off on posting these things unless the GOVERNING BODY agrees with your finding. you are NOT on the ground with officials who i am SURE have their own way of validating runners. you are wreckless and irresponsible by stating that you are just posting "facts" when you are in many waya cherrypicking your data.

     further more you are gaslighting issues due to the fact that frankly who the heck are you that people must reply before you post. get a grip.

124. The problem is you seem to post first. Then ask questions. Then if wrong you retract. That not a professional way to do it.

     Of course a lot of people will "support" you. In my experience it's closer to 50-50.

     Sorry I though you took my name down on your own. my mistake for assuming.

     No one is talking about how the RDs are a huge part of the problem. A huge part. But you wouldn't dare criticize them.

125. If I got something wrong, I would retract. I don't just throw things out there without being 100% certain. Someone commented that what I putnin the article wasn't factual–and I asked them to point it out.

     The RD or timer should have caught this, absolutely. I've called out RD's in past articles.

126. He fibs about his age too? He missed the timing mat on the way to blow out the candles!

127. ditto

128. No, I don't need to work on my choice of* quotes. Marlon is ascending and he has a real brand. His tree is full of fruit and people, usually, want a taste of the fruit so they throw stones. If his tree wasn't enviously full, no one would care especially all you anonymous posters to throw stones.

     And just to keep you busy – Analyze these

     Never throw mud. If you do, you may hit your mark, but you will have dirty hands. Don't be a cloud because you failed to become a star. Instead, "Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others" (Optimist Creed). Spend your time and energy creating as opposed to criticizing and tearing down.

     #weshutdownjersey
     #teamleanstrongfast

129. This shit is not that serious. People take Boston marathon way too serious. I run "qualify time " for Boston but I can care less. It doesn't matter. Just move on with your lives and leavehiMalone ??. Losers (I made that 1 word on purpose so you can go write a blog about me misspelling ) D.E.R.3.K

130. Now what could be different about THIS case that is bringing emotion out of the woodwork as opposed to trying to offset the presented facts with different analysis, or better yet concrete explanations…hmmmm…

131. Uh oh…time's up. 🙂

     http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=7263537

132. Interesting that most of the critics here are saying "Derek has no right to write this blog because it's not his job", or "Marlon is a terrific guy", or "get a life, this stuff isn't important". but very few seem to have anything substantive to defend the accusation that he cheated. Because there is no plausible explanation. In other words, you like your friend so you don't mind that he cheated and then lied about it.

133. Ah yes, the screenshot of the Nike app. All you need to know about whether this is valid is to know that this was Mike Rossi's preferred method of "proving" he ran a 20:xx something 5k.

134. Derek, thank you for investigating these cheats! It is a job that the RDs don't take seriously enough.
     It is good that those who cheated their way into Boston are finally being caught, but it is even better to think that your work will serve as a deterent against future would-be cheats. For every article on a marathon cheater, who probably prevent 5 more future course cutters. People now know there will be consequences for taking short cuts.
     Keep up the great work!

135. Interesting when someone posts something you disagree about that it is classified as insulting and derogatory. If that's the case, every comment on here is insulting and derogatory. FYI the comment about keyboard heroes wasn't made towards any one specific person. How can it, I don't know how many people are replying or who's a repeat commenter. But I do have one comment towards all that replied. You're very hypocritical. Call it what you want, but it seems the only peaceful replies are the ones that align with your stance on the topic. I'm not commenting any further. I have other things to do other than dealing with hypocritical comments and people who are in denial of their anger and hostility. Yeah, you.

136. How can this article be objective when you do not allow all comments to be posted. I am waiting for mine to be approved. You know the one where you are asked to have a seat

137. I will probably put up a 'companion article' laying out just the key points.

     As I added on to this one, it got a bit cumbersome

     and only allow comments that specifically address that data – or provides additional information directly related to the reusults in question or his ability to run the time.

138. Bingo!

139. Ah the old 'HEY! YOU'RE CENSORING ME!" bit. Oh I really really hope this isn't the case. If you truly feel that this is happening please feel free to also chime in and repost any of your thoughts at http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=7263537. The story is also being followed there. As an aside they are truly an open minded and engaging bunch who would be happy to address all of your points in a calm, logical, and polite manner.

140. Melissa, I did not remove any comments. Look at what I've allowed – it should be obvious I am not censoring comments on this page. Feel free to re-post.

141. So Melissa just avoided the facts? I am shocked. Shocked!

     Well not that shocked.

142. Christine,

     Would you care to offer any rational refutation to the evidence provided?

     Care to explain how he has never run a time that is at all in the realm of his BQ time?

     Care to explain why he is the only one to miss the mats?

     Care to explain why he is not in any race photos except where his splits registered?

     Care to explain why his splits during the period in question are faster than his pace for any recorded 5k of his?

     Care to explain why his Nike + self-timed 5k effort appears doctored?

     Care to explain why he has not offered any Garmin data for any of his best efforts?

     I think the only conclusion that a reasonable person can reach in light of the facts presented is that it is more likely than not that he cut the course to obtain his BQ time.

     Do you honestly think he ran 5k pr pace for 18 miles and just happened to not register any splits on the mats (ding the only person to do so) and not to appear in any of the race photos?

     Be honest.

143. Maybe start a thread without his real name in the title.

144. Someone will. It was already started before that was posted.

145. He cheated for sure people!!! He is a big fish here in NYC so that is why this is a big deal. Letsrun should offer up that $10,000 MIKE ROSSI CHALLENGE to him. I bet you he would not take them up on it.

146. Derek question….are you submitting this data to the Boston and NJ RDs? Also, how long will it be before we know the outcome of this investation?

     By the way keep on doing what you are doing; Cheaters need to be exposed! Great work Sir!

147. Zing!

148. Christine…. it's simple. Address his running times and splits.

149. Keep up the great work Derek, I missed cutoff this year by 2s, I really appreciate what your doing to clean up Boston.

150. Nekei AffulMay 5, 2016 at 12:17 AM
     "No, I don't need to work on my….."

     You need to work on refuting the data provided above rather than just talking. Like how he ran most of a marathon faster than any 5K he's run. How about that?

151. +1. No discussion of the facts of his race as presented. Answers must be provided. Character statements don't do anything to defend the actual data collection of the race. Focus on that only please.

152. Christine, I am not a hypocrit for questioning your friend's time; I actually run the full distance in every race I compete in.
     Also, I haven't resorted to personal attacks in order to distract from the evidence at hand. The evidence very much supports my conclusion that your friend cut the course at the NJ Marathon.

153. I am willing to throw in an extra $1000 bonus if Marlon can beat his NJ marathon time. I am willing to pace him to his goal too.

154. Thank you Derek. This is important work. People I coach have BQed but missed out because of people like those you are writing about.

155. Thank you Derek. I ran a 3:03:XX and remember getting the rejection email when applying for Boston. I smile knowing that people who cheat risk being sniffed out by you, and now I don't feel worried about it at all. Go ahead and cheat, creep! Derek will BUST you! HAHAHA! 😀 THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

156. Derek, thank you for running a "Spotlight" for the running community. We appreciate the time and effort you put into your hobby as it benefits us all, even the ones who are caught. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set ye free."

157. 21:44 to 16:43 is a pretty size able improvement, it's be nice to see a few connecting dots in between the two points. Also if he did indeed state he ran a 5k in "just under 17 minutes" it show's his lack of familiarity with the territory, 5+ seconds a mile is quite a bit when you're getting into the faster end of the 5 minute range.

158. Interesting conversation on both sides. Here’s my viewpoint.

     I agree that cheaters should be exposed, regardless of who they are – from the world record holder down to the kid at the local 5K run. That said, I also agree that jumping to anonymous conclusions of guilt can destroy a person via online harassing. Here’s my solution:
     • Derek (or anyone else) is okay to post whatever information he has obtained that appears to indicate a data point outside of the normal/plausible range
     • A request is made of the individual who’s data is posted
     • The individual is provided with a reasonable period of time to reply to the questionable data to show why it’s incorrect

     Lacking a timely and adequate reply, the general population is free to reach whatever conclusions they choose based on all the information. The hope is that the governing body of the sport will also take note of the concerns and do their own investigation. If guilt is determined by the governing body, the result should be available to the general public.

     That’s the way our system works. Someone sees something appears wrong. They question it. The accused replies. If guilt is proven the person is convicted.

     Now the question appears to be why does Derek get to be the cop. You can question his motives, but why does it matter since the facts speak for themselves. If you can prove that Derek has wrongly gone after anyone, please bring that to our attention, as I believe that cheats – at anything – should be exposed. Lacking an adequate explanation for the outlier data, the assumption of guilt is reached and the burden of proof correctly shifts to the accused.

     Next question is “Why should the accused have to answer to Derek?” I don’t necessarily disagree with this statement as Derek holds no official status among the running governing bodies. My reply is that if Derek does not feel that the official governing bodies are performing a necessary function – that of exposing and keeping cheaters out of the sport – then he will provide it himself. This has proven very effective over the last couple hundred years. That’s how this country works – through checks and balances. If you don’t like it, let me help you pack.

159. I keep reading how "its just a race" but ive worked hard to someday get to Boston and this Jan. I beat my qualifying time by 2.5 min but that may not be fast enough. Maybe this guy beats someone out of their dream by seconds because he cheated.

160. To paraphrase a quote. You can Cheat if you want, and most people won't care. But you will know the rest of your life.

161. By the time retractions are posted, damage to people have already been done and harassment continues. If the BAA kicks people out based on your findings then go ahead and post. If not, then you shouldnt be doing this.

162. There won't be a retraction. I posted the facts – the data. Not a single person has disputed any of that. I didn't post a conclusion. Hypothetically, if I were ever to post incorrect data or inaccurate conclusions, I would correct that. It would be wrong, otherwise. Over 100 comments, and no one has been able to dispute anything in the article.

163. exactly

164. Not sure this could have been said any better.

165. A lot of these people who say this are his followers/supporters. Had this been somebody else I am sure they'd be all over him.

166. Christine I'm sorry a coach you love and respect was found to be cheating. I'm angry that someone that others look up to would do this, because it puts nice people like you in a tight corner defending them. Wish you tons of love and support when you eventually reach acceptance of the truth. Marlon Bascombe is a fraud.

167. Derek, I've accused you of beiing the Marathon Police on the Maniacs page. I notice you didn't put this particular accusation on the page this week. Or perhaps I missed? I just don't think public shaming is right. And I wouldn't respond to you if at all if I was being accused of cheating. You say you are just posting stats and facts for everyone to come to their own conclusion. I say that's BS. Public shaming is wrong. Your race! Your pace!

168. I appreciate your opinion. No I didn't post it on the Maniacs page. I've been posting a lot of articles, and felt it was getting too frequent.

     Did you read the article? What exactly do you have an issue with? There has to be a line where it's ok to report. I felt this was worthy for a number of reasons.

     Too throw the current buzzword 'shaming' at everything is inappropriate. is not 'shaming' when the news reports when someone broke the law or acted unethically? this is no different. Now I don't have editors and fact checkers, so I put myself out there and am fully responsible for everything I post.

     Most runners and all of the race directors I've been in contact are very appreciative.

     Look up the runningflat podcast. Chris is an RD and was very appreciative of the work.

169. Feel free to follow my page on FB. I would welcome continuing the discussion there..this format is not the best for a back and forth.

170. Could somebody comment further upon the Nike+ screenshot? Is altering the data the only possibility, or is there some other way that it could look like it does (only showing 2.5ish miles on the graph, and showing 0:00 for the mile three split)? Clearly he can't run 1.1 miles in 3.5 minutes, but if he'd gotten on a bike, or if the gps data were faulty, etc, could the screenshot look like it does?

171. If you cheat, we will question the time. The difference is that Marlon took something he didn't earn, a Boston Qualifying spot. I'm slow as hell, but I take every step honestly.

     Everything you wrote is irrelevant to the issue at hand. Did he cheat?

172. The facts are out there. To question the facts is one thing, to look at the facts and somehow conclude he didn't cheat is another.

173. Some people state that exposing cheating should be left to the race directors. Its important to note that race directors rarely out of no where find a cheater. They often find out someone cheated by reports from other racers, volunteers, and people watching (and timing mats). This blog is reporting the same type of information in just a more public way. And honestly, because of the time difference between the action and discovery for the evidence, some publicity is probably needed for the evidence to bear weight.

174. It has been manually manipulated to show the time/distance of 3.1 in 16:43. The 0.00 run time for mile 3 shows he ran the first two and then manipulated the third mile. His splits show he ran 6+ minutes for the first two, then 3.29 for 1.1 mile, which is impossible/world record ability. No one would run a 16:43 5k by taking the first two miles at "easy" 6+ minute pace and then hammering out the last mile in world record time. It is just illogical. He clearly does not understand comparable race times because someone capable of a sub 17 minute 5k should be able to run a sub 3:00 marathon pretty comfortably, therefore, his 5k "proof" actually is a bigger nail in his coffin. None of his mile races, 5ks, half marathons, or previous full marathons are in line with his BQ time. And he runs with a Garmin so providing proof to counter the evidence here should be very easy and would take him out of the spotlight with sincere apologies very quickly. As someone with a low 2:50s marathon, my 5k PR is only a low 18. If he could legitimately run the 16:43 5k, he should easily be able to go out and run a comparable time and prove he is not cheating. Heck, I would settle for a low 18 5k with GPS data/video evidence as proof of a 3:05. Then again, he had a Garmin on for his "PR" but refuses to provide the data to clear this up. That alone makes this a clear conclusion.

175. Yes, agreed. If he's capable of breaking 17 minutes for 5k, he should be running mid 2:40s. 3:05 would be his easy training pace, not his "breakthrough performance" PR. My 5k was 16:40 with a marathon PR of 2:43. When I completely bonked and walked in my last marathon, I finished in 3:03. It was a Personal Worst, not a Personal Best.

176. Christine – Derek isn't a self- appointed judge, jury, and executioner. He's not making any judgments at all. He is presenting data that may indicate someone cheated and leaving it to RD's and the public to decide.

177. Interesting. Thanks for posting this. I've followed him on IG and FB for a while, simply because of his Newton Ambassadorship. He's often grouchy, rude, and curses a lot. He seems very unprofessional, and if he cheated, it would not surprise me.

     At the same time, many really awesome runners that I know personally had a TERRIBLE Boston race. But, their qualifying times can be confirmed. Sad that people have to cheat. I'm no longer following him. I know it hasn't' been proven that he cheated (yet), but… his overall "haters gonna hate" attitude is gross.

178. Not only that. He listed himself as being in his 30's when he is 42!

179. Marlon is 42 years old Derek.

180. Derek O, Maybe you are unaware, but running a BQ does not guarantee you a spot in the Boston Marathon. This year you had to beat the standard by at least 2:28 to gain entry. So when people cheat their way to a BQ, they are most likely bumping someone who actually reached the standard but not by enough.

     Beyond that, runners make a lot of sacrifices to improve. Many set BQing as a lifetime goal. When you see someone who is just unwilling to put in the work but decides to cheat his way in, it shows a great deal of disrespect to the sport and to other runners. Sad thing is, there is no reason why this guy shouldn't be able to reach the standard. He's ostensibly fit enough. He's been racing long enough. He just hasn't put in the work. I doubt he even trains for running at all based on his real times. If he followed any marathon training plan he could get the standard legitimately within 5 months.

181. I'm sure he's a decent guy. He also probably paces people to run 2hr/4hr half/marathons. I'm sure he looks fast too. Based on his pictures I'd wouldn't question his ability to run a 3:05 (he's a little too bulky for a runner but a 3:05 isn't all that fast). But all evidence points to him not doing it.

182. This is a classic example of another cheating narcissist who got way too close to the sun. Runners and other athletes competing for something need to be held to a standard of honesty. This kind of cheating BS is happening way too often and they keep doing it because they can get away with it. We gotta call them out when we see it.

     A lot of people around him probably went with the eye test as someone posted previously. People need to know that's not good enough. This guy's previous race times make a 3:05 marathon impossible. Add to that the lack of photos on the course, missed timing mats and rigged Nike+ results and we definitely have a cheater here. I work too hard to potentially get cheated out of a Boston spot. I say hang em higher.

183. I always wonder how people justify it in their heads. For him obviously it was out of reach through straight racing given his history and therefore a short-cut to help him with his big three marathon plan for 2016 but what are you thinking to yourself after the NJ marathon? Especially as an athletic trainer.

184. I almost forgot. Marlon made a comment on his FB page about running Chicago and NYC this year with that qualifying time. Has anyone reach out to the RD of those 2 races yet?

185. There's also one other point. If the marathon is small enough, then a person who BQs may also be fast enough to place in their AG. (This was the case with a runner in one of my marathons – I kept reporting him until he was DQed and never came back. Each year he would block someone else from getting the AG award. And some years he took 1st place in his AG.) After the fact, there's virtually no chance that the wronged party will get their award. But it may be useful for preventing cheating.

186. Copied from the LetsRun thread, says it all really:

     "Tripler wrote:

     What is the most pathetic way to cheat to a BQ?

     1. Cut course.
     2. Have a faster friend run for you.
     3. Lie about age to qualify under easier standards.

     second opinion wrote:

     That's a tough question. Course cutting probably, because the cheater is so actively involved in the deceit and crosses the finish line among people who worked harder for months (or years) and specifically worked harder on that day. You have to be a serious scum bag to cut the course and then cross the finish line with your arms raised, in triumph, put a medal around your neck, pose for pictures – it's beyond messed up. If I was married to someone who did that, I would likely walk away as I can't see any explanation for it. The person who could do that, is just way beyond anything I can relate to, and likely mentally ill."

187. Check his NYRR results. He gets younger as he ages. After turning 39 in 2013, he starts 2014 as 33.

     If he used his true age, he would had much easier BQ as he should be around 42 or 43 now.

     http://web2.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/…rchive.htm

     Read more: http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=7263537&page=17#ixzz48CMWrJfm

188. I can confirm that On Lam can run me into the ground any day. For me, training for and qualifying for Boston was one of the most difficult things I ever did. I hope I can make it back to run it again someday. I think what Derek is doing is wonderful.

189. Was there every any response from the New Jersey Marathon?

190. Any updates on this from the New Jersey Marathon?

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