Rosie Ruiz was competing in a women's category. She "won the marathon" only against other women.
Is there any reason to believe that women are more prone to cheating on races than men? After all, there has been all sorts of male cheating in bicycle racing, with Lance Armstrong being a prominent example.
Maybe it's easier for women to cheat on a marathon in this particular way, because they can get lost in the crowd of men who are ahead of them.
That was my point. Much easier for a woman to get away with this because most people don’t pay attention to the women in a major race. Not implying a man wouldn’t try it if he felt he could get away with it. But much harder for men because from the very start of the race, much attention is paid to the men in the leading pack. It’s virtually impossible for a man to insert himself into a race near the finish line and get away with it.
The top female time in the Boston Marathon last year was 17 minutes slower than the mens time, which means the lead woman is buried with a lot of men.
The top male couldn’t cheat obviously, but the top woman might have a harder time of it now too. They probably have a camera on the lead the whole time anyway now.
The difference in times between male and female is amazing...there were, and still probably are, women who say they can’t do as well in given sports because they aren’t given the opportunities men have, instead of admitting that physically, the men have a biological advantage they can’t overcome, namely testosterone.
By the way, I think that is Ed King in the picture with Rosie Ruiz...:)