Derek Murphy Is Uncovering Cheaters One Race Result At A Time

Today I am going a few easy miles with Derek Murphy, the lead detective from Marathon Investigation.

Derek Murphy on the Case

His website shines a light on some of the runners in the community with less than honest results.

We will cover the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Naive Beginnings

Derek wasn’t always scouring race results to find discrepancies.

He didn’t even begin running until he entered his 30’s as a way to get in shape.

The very first race he signed up for was the Columbus Marathon at a time when he could barely run a mile.

During the 6 months of training, every new distance he did was a PR.

After he completed his first marathon he was hooked and began running the distance frequently.

Numerous years of multiple marathons caused him to burn out on running for a period.

Running re-entered his life this past year when he ran his first 24-hour race.

A few viral stories about runner’s cheating caught Derek’s attention over the years and that is where his interest began.

This Episode Is Sponsored By: DKMS

Marathon Investigation

The realization that all race results may not be valid caused Derek to begin to investigate.

He wondered how many more people cheated and were never exposed.

Derek began his searches by looking at race results and comparing splits throughout the race.

It didn’t take long for Derek to create a website as a way to keep track of suspicious results.

His site wasn’t common knowledge for the average runner during the early years.

He mostly used his research to inform race directors of possible cheaters.

A Runner’s World article on his work put his name in the spotlight.

Reactions were mostly positive, but there was also some negativity.

Check Out the Work of Derek Murphy

Proof Positive

Derek is cautious to not accuse someone of cheating unless he is 100% positive.

If he is wrong it will affect his credibility in the future.

Over the years he has been surprised at the lengths people will go to when cheating.

Derek is especially aware of the entrants trying to run the Boston marathon.

With challenging qualification standards and many runners turned away, it is a race where he has discovered numerous cheaters.

Any negativity surrounding his research is all worth it when a runner can get into Boston and isn’t bumped out by a cheater.

It’s easy to get jaded in his line of work, but all the positive feedback has helped.

It is his ultimate hope that his website is a deterrent to would-be cheaters.

Derek Murphy Checking the Data

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Big Backyard Ultra
• NorthCoast 24 Hour Endurance Run

Stay connected with Derek by checking out his Website and/or following him on Facebook and Twitter.

Derek Murphy is the lead detective at MarathonInvestigation.com. His work shines a light on some of the shadier members of the #running community. #runchat Click To Tweet

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