Bus Marathon cheat faces another race ban...

Late last year, I had a post up about an English runner named Rob Sloan who had hopped onto a bus to finish third in the Kielder Marathon. After he was caught, he was banned from all future races in Kielder.

Well, it seems as if is back in the news again this year and faces another ban. Now the former Sunderland Harrier is being investigated for breaking the rules at the Great North Run after he allegedly ran last month’s half marathon under a friend’s name, disguising himself with sunglasses.

Mr Sloan, who works as a mechanic, said: “I will maintain my innocence. I had won the 10k at Kielder last year by two-and-a-half- minutes, but I’m not remembered for that. It is difficult to sit at the weekend knowing the race is going on at Kielder and I can’t defend my title. I’m still running and my next race is the Newcastle Stampede. I train every day and run between 100 and 120 miles a week. I’m banned from the races owned and run by Steve Cram, which are the Kielder 10k and marathon and the Sunderland 10k and marathon, but the rest I can enter. I ran this year’s Great North Run but I ran under a friend’s name. I didn’t want the Press there asking questions, I didn’t want to get the attention. I don’t want this mentioned as I don’t want to be banned from the Great North Run as well. I don’t know if it is against the rules to run under another name, but I ran under a friend’s name, who is also a runner, but I don’t want to get him into trouble.”

Race organisers are now investigating the allegations. If true, Mr Sloan and his friend could both now be disqualified from future events. David Hart, communications director for the Great North Run, said: “We have heard internet rumours that Rob Sloan was entering the run under a false name. We are now investigating this. If it is true I am disappointed he has done that. The reason we do not allow people to run the race under a different name is for the health and safety of runners. We have to know who is running the race in case there is a problem. He wasn’t banned from running the race. He could have entered the ballot like everyone else and run the race under his real name.”

BBC interview Marathon cheat...

A few days ago, the reional BBC North-East service interviewed Rob Sloan. You might remember him from a previous post back in October when he 'finished' 3rd in the Kielder Marathon in Northumberland and was later found to have hopped on a bus at the 20 mile mark!

Well, now he says that it was a case of mistaken identity and he really did finish 3rd. In the interview, Sloan said: "My argument is, 'who in his right mind runs 24 miles of a 26-mile race, diversifies off the route, manages to find a bus, makes his way back in the race, lies in wait until the first and the second has passed then joins the race and finishes third'?

Indeed, 'diversifying' off the route is never a recommended option.

The race officials say that Sloan was in 8th place at the 13.1 mile mark and at 17 miles, he was in 10th. Then somehow he finished 3rd without anyone seeing him?

In his defence, Sloan showed the BBC the readings from his GPS watch. The BBC said that it "showed him travelling at a constant pace, until the last few miles when the reading "goes fuzzy"."

The interview can be seen HERE