What Can Happen If You Cheat
With course cutting and bib swapping being the two most popular methods of cheating at races, it's important to consider the ramifications before running over to the dark side.
Besides the obvious guilty conscious, event dishonesty impacts other runners and has potential life-threatening risks. Consider these implications:
—Permanent monkey on your back. Bragging rights are awesome, but the accompanying excitement often fades faster than the time you cut from the course. Knowing that you didn't earn the accolades can weigh heavy on your mind for the rest of your running career.
—No one likes a line jumper. You know that feeling you get when someone cuts the line you've been waiting in forever? Multiply that times a million and you might get close to the hatred the running community has for cheaters. Not only will you have to deal with internal guilt, but you'll also be the subject of disdain from fellow runners, especially if you get caught. Plus, by cheating, you're keeping someone else from running who fully earned the right to compete in the event.
—Resources are limited. When you sign up for a race, part of your registration fee is paying for the food, drink and personnel on the course. Many events plan for only enough food and drink as they have people registered. Running in an event without paying the associated fees (AKA being a “race bandit”) could not only be considered stealing, but also entails consuming valuable resources that haven't been accounted for. This could lead to slower finishers being left without food, drink or even medals—and everyone deserves their finisher's medal.
—Cheating can be life threatening. No really, it can be. You know those waivers and medical information forms you fill out when signing up for a race? They give you the opportunity to provide critical health details in case race day goes very wrong. It might seem harmless, but if you've gifted a bib to someone illegally and they have a medical emergency onsite, professionals may not have vital health details about that person to administer the appropriate treatment.
—Banning happens. It's no secret that technology makes us more accessible, which ultimately serves as a disadvantage for cheaters. In today's world, if someone suspects you cheated at a race, it's easy to launch a full investigation using multiple channels. Between race results, the onsite photographer and perusing your past race resume, Internet detectives are more armed than ever. And they're often more than happy to pass on suspicions to event organizers. While the BAA ruling issued to Alvarez might seem like extreme punishment, runners should expect other races to follow suit.
Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest for more tips, recipes and ideas to fuel your ACTIVE life.
Find your next race.
- 2
- of
- 2
Get ACTIVE on the Go
Couch to 5K®
The best way to get new runners off the couch and across the finish line of their first 5K.
Available for iOS | Android
Discuss This Article