The concept of cheating is an odd thing really. It assumes a level playing field but it isn’t, is it. Most of us might obey the laws but we don’t come into the race equal. Some of us have personal trainers, can afford weekly massages to aid recovery, others can afford to go away to training camps, some rent very expensive wheels and I have a friend who goes away to train at altitude. I can’t afford most of this stuff. Is that fair? Am I truly testing myself against others when I race tomorrow or am I racing myself?

Cheers all,
Simon

http://tiny.cc/7YIX2

I think that some would say, “What difference does a corner make?”, and I get that point, IF it’s only one corner. But it never is just one. I think a good analogy is rolling hills or “rollers”. When I see a big hill coming, I know what’s there and what I am going to have to do to wisely climb. However, with rollers, we tend to just treat them as “little hills”. However, when you step back and look at rollers as one big hill, then all of a sudden you have a BIG (cumulatively speaking) hill that you have just attacked hard and fast. Cutting corners is no different. One corner may seem like nothing at the time, but they have the ability to cut a significant distance off of the race, and also off of the honor of competition.

On bandits:

My problem with this has a couple of layers. Whenever we enter a race, part of the fee goes to cover insurance during the event. If someone who is not registered gets badly injured, all of a sudden you have not only what could be a major emergency, but a hefty lawsuit as well. Also, races are staffed and supported for the number of entrants, not the entrants PLUS bandits! I think that bandits can clog, what are most likely already congested lanes of travel. If anyone needs proof of how crowded a race can be, just go to ANY NYRR race in Central Park. I have yet to run a race in CP where I not gone less than .10 miles further than the distance due to all the bobbing and weaving you have to do.

1. Cutting corners on turns in a road race – Remember how the Queens Half had like 61 turns, well, I saw more than a few people who I was running with climb onto the sidewalk on almost every turn…some more blatant than others, but I was somewhat irritated and furious that they were cutting corners and running a shorter course. What do you think?

2. Bandits who run in big road races especially marathons and more especially those who bandit races with qualifications like Boston Marathon. I for one think they hurt the sport on so many levels but what do you think?

I totally understand the Ipod thing. I do think, however, that there is a line between cheating and breaking the rules. In the case of Ipods during a triathlon, this is breaking a rule that was put in place, not because it gives one athlete an advantage over another, but rather for safety reasons. And, for that matter, I think it’s not as big a deal on the run as it is on the bike.

As for taking down numbers and such; I believe that athletes turning in other athletes for rules violations is a slippery slope that could bring on a new form of cheating (what if I were trying to beat you and turned you in saying, “hey, Kevin broke rule X”). I do however, think it is well within our rights, if not responsibility to inform athletes that are blatantly breaking the rules, to correct what they’re doing, ESPECIALLY if it is detrimental to the other athletes (i.e. riding left, passing right, headphones, etc.). A little bit of self governing goes a long way in my opinion.

Yet – he was caught. That was his biggest mistake. I believe that a lot of our competitors do cheat an various ways and that is something we won’t be able to change.
Therefore it is important that those of us who love our sport do our best to swim, bike, run ahead as a positive example.

Rock on.

Drafting – Plenty of it. Almost everyone, but some were VERY blatant. Must admit I even took a wheel or when going up hill, but that was more to prevent coming to a dead stop due to the general lack of bike handling – riding skill (not mine)

Outside Assistance – It was my understanding only aid volunteers were allowed to render assistance. If I had know that people were going to accept aid from bystanders and get paced by their girlfriend-carrying-gel-on-a-bike during the run then I would have stopped for that beer at mile 13.5!

The overall problem with cheaters is the US mentality that something is only wrong if you get caught, and even then most have no shame. Next time you have a drafter, have some fun. Hit your brakes!

The bigger question to all this is:
What can we as honest ATHLETES do to prevent and stop this? RD’s need to be aware of this issue and can’t be afraid or intimidated and DQ these individuals, could there be an outcry? Sure the cheaters will be mad and not enter that race again, to that I say good!!!

Is that cheating?

Is that giving an advantage to the competitor?

Should you take down the race numbers and turn them in?

I would say that you are well versed enough in the rules to call out someone who is blatantly breaking them, like your drafter. Maybe you can just inform them that drafting is not legal and that he needs to pass or back off. He may not know, which could be the case if it was his first race (again, I was unaware of drafting rules in my first ever tri, and knowingly drafted).

I also think though that there should be more marshals in some races. Especialy as the courses get longer.

I get that he won’t really affect my performance, but people like that will do a great deal to tarnish a sport that I have grown to love. Cheating is a slippery slope, as we’ve seen in cycling. There, the cheaters are always one step ahead of the testers. I would prefer if triathlon could stay pure at the very least at the age group level. Remember, one drop of oil can poison a million gallons of water.

The drafting issue is dodgier. There are times when cyclists get bunched up but I never felt like at IM Wisconsin, anyone was “drafting” we were passing one another and keeping our distance – even on the hills. I did however experience someone drafting off of me on a windy course at a half ironman I did. No marshals rode by and I didn’t know what to do. This guy was behind me drafting for a good 7 miles into the wind. It made me mad but I didn’t want to risk starting a fight out there alone on the course – I was intimidated. Eventually I slowed down so much “to stretch” that he would have had to blatantly admit he was drafting if he hadn’t passed me, so pass me he did. I kept my distance from there to the end and avoided him the rest of the day. I had no respect when I saw him at the finish line – all I could think was “there’s the cheater – yes he finished but not on his own.”

He’s only cheating himself. It doesn’t take anything away from anyone else’s achievement. I have met a couple of people who claim to have run races I know for a fact they didn’t. I hear them telling others but I don’t say anything. If they want to lie then its their business.