Blurred Lines in Cheating

What is considered cheating in races?

Among the top finishers it is easier to define. In the races we organized, we could spot them even before the gun start. Here are four common examples we encounter in our races.

1. In one event, we see runners standing around the corner which is a few meters ahead of the starting line. This will give them a head start and an unfair advantage. To be a declared winner, you should start at the designated starting line.

2. In another event, a runner returned to us at the starting line reporting that his race bib was “snatched” by another runner. We can’t declare the other one a winner since he/she was not officially registered.

3. We also had an experience of runners exchanging race bibs in the middle of the race. In one of the Milo Marathon races, some bloggers noted of photos showing 3-4 runners wearing the same race bib. I suspect all of them got a finisher medal and finisher shirt. That is clearly unfair. This year’s Boston Marathon had this issue as well.

4. There was also a race when we caught a 2nd place runner taking a U-turn earlier to shorten the lead between him and the leading runner. Even if he still finished second, we did not award it to him for making a shortcut. The 3rd and 4th placed runners, took the 2nd and 3rd place instead.

Jazzrunner has his own list of 7 methods in cheating a race.  It’s more common than you think.

When we look at it at a competitive and elite level, there is no need to argue. These runners do not deserve to win. They violated the rules and are disqualified.

But what if you are not an elite runner? Or you are not running competitively? Should the same rules still apply? Take these real scenarios I have encountered in our races, for instance. What would have done if you were in my place?

“Most people cheat
because they’re paying
more attention to
what they’re missing
rather than
what they have.”

1. A runner arrives late on the race and starts somewhere along the route instead and not at the starting line. Should the runner be officially considered a finisher?

2. A mother approaches us at the starting area at 6:00 AM in the morning. She asks if she can already get the loot bag for her child who is registered to run at 7:00AM for the 500m. She says that her child is tired and might not be able to run anymore. Should we give the loot bag already? She argues that she paid for it ayway.

3. A runner was injured and was not able to run the actual race. One week after the event, the runner sends us an email if he/she can get the finisher’s medal and finisher’s shirt that the runner paid for during the registration. Should we give it?

4. A runner registers for a 42K event but felt tired in the middle of the race. The runner takes the 21K route instead and took the medal and finisher shirt for a half marathon. Is this correct?

5. A runner stops in the middle of the race due to pain. The runner asks someone else to finish the race in his/her behalf. Can either runner be called a finisher and get the medal and shirt?

“Cheating isn’t a mistake,
it is a choice.”

This year, cheating has been a buzz word in several events. But it is nothing new. I read and heard stories every year about alleged cheating in races.

The lines between cheating and not cheating has gone blurry. During races we organize, I have a hard time deciding if this runner deserves a finisher’s medal or not. I cannot have eyes on all runners. I can’t say my decisions have been always right.

Everyone has an argument. Some say that paying the registration fees itself is enough to earn the medal. Some say it’s the effort that earns a medal, not the result.

Or it’s the organizers fault since they are not watching more carefully.  The lack of action from the organizers mean we condone these acts.  And when one gets caught in the photos, they say everybody’s doing it so let’s stop “bullying” just one person.

“It’s always fun listening to someone’s lie
when you already know the truth.”

Recently, I stumbled upon a Facebook Page that exposes runners who may have cheated. It has pictures, names and lots of confrontation in the comments. Some say this is cyberbullying.

It reminds me of the Anti-Epal campaign in social media that shows faces of politicians in billboards, streamers, and public infrastructures. It thought it was a very successful campaign since the number of Epals has really been dramatically reduced. Can this FB Page reduce the blurry lines of cheating too?

I have ran 9 marathons so far and the sweetest and most memorable medal I got is from the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon in 2010. The cutoff time is strictly at 5:30. So strict that marshals will turn their back at 5:30:01 to those who are still arriving. There is not a second of compromise. Finish or die trying!

What made this race memorable for me is that I finished it at 5:29:46. Just 14 seconds before the cutoff. I sprinted in the final meters just to make it to the cutoff time. It was painful. Very painful.  Had I doubted myself, I could not have made it on time.

This was a race I was proud of. No shortcuts. No excuses. I earned this medal. I deserve this medal.

I hope every finisher will have this kind of conviction for every medal they possess.

Keep on running!!!