In Case You Missed It...

There's a great piece in this week's issue of the New Yorker (which, incidentally, is probably my favorite magazine) about a Michigan dentist named Keith Litton. Why on earth would I post about a dentist, especially one from the Wolverine State? Well, this dentist has been accused of cheating in tons of distance events from 5ks to marathons, including the Boston Marathon.

The article, "Marathon Man," by Mark Singer is behind a paywall on their website so you'll have to head to a newstand to read the whole the thing. What's interesting about this article is that it really represents the culmination of years of internet chatter about this man. Sites from Runner's World to Let's Run have long forums discussing his supposed race results. There's even an entire blog devoted to exposing him as a fraud.

Unlike some famous marathon frauds (remember Rosie?), Litton never burst onto the national scene with a major marathon win. He just posted a long serious of impressive times. Others began noticing when they discovered Litton had "finished" towards the front but somehow escaped check-points and course photographers.

Stories like this are extremely interesting, but they're also sad. Running is supposed to be about seeing what you can accomplish physically and mentally. This man may not have stolen any large prize purses, but he did cheat other runners out of honest competition and he cheated himself out of a real opportunity to perform.

Hope you all check out the article and please feel free to post any reactions.