the biggest .. liar?

the story:
Ex-'Biggest Loser' contestant didn't exactly run marathon
BY AARON BARNHART • MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS • February 28, 2009

NBC has launched an investigation into an episode of its popular reality show "The Biggest Loser" that showed an eliminated contestant purporting to finish a 26.2-mile marathon. Eyewitnesses posting to a tv blog said he had done no such thing.

In the final segment of Wednesday's broadcast, a story about Dane Patterson, who lost more than 100 pounds in an extreme weight-loss regimen while competing at The Biggest Loser ranch, showed him back at home after having left the show, running a marathon with his wife, Carli, in Arizona.

The program reported that Patterson finished the marathon in 3 hours 53 minutes. Clearly, the time was in error; a clock can be seen showing the race time at 5:53, not 3:53. But the assertion that he had run 26.2 miles was a lie, as Carli Patterson herself admitted on her blog.

"We had stopped along the way to film at a water station and to make up for lost time our producers drove us ONLY 3 miles up the road," she wrote, "but we are still incredibly happy about the 23 miles we ran."

Unfortunately, Carli was contradicted by her husband in an online video that NBC removed later. In it, Dane Patterson says, "It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life to run side by side with my wife for an entire marathon."

Several runners, writing on various Web sites, asserted that Patterson was disqualified after failing to disclose to race officials that his time had been van-aided. Another reader, whose wife ran with the Pattersons near the finish line, offered a different explanation: Stragglers' times simply were not recorded in the official results.

But that was a trivial concern to many long-distance runners, who still remember the notorious Rosie Ruiz cheating in order to win the Boston Marathon in 1980.

Not surprisingly, NBC went into damage-control mode after the initial story appeared at TVBarn.com. A conference call with Dane Patterson, who was eliminated from the show this week, was canceled abruptly Thursday morning.

Late Thursday evening, a network spokesman issued a statement about the "Biggest Loser" episode in question. The statement said that "the segment as aired was contrary to NBC policy," and that network executives would work with the show's producers "to ensure that corrective action is taken."

Late Thursday evening, a network spokesman issued a statement about the "Biggest Loser" episode in question. The statement said that "the segment as aired was contrary to NBC policy," and that network executives would work with the show's producers "to ensure that corrective action is taken."

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my thoughts:

When I saw heard (I usually watch the show, but missed this particular episode) that Blaine ran the marathon in 3:53, I was, like others, flabergasted. 3:53:13 is my PR at Richmond, and that came as a result of many, many miles and a few sacrifices.

Then: a van drove his wife and him 3 mi.
Then: it was actually 5:53. For TWENTY THREE miles.

Any marathoner can tell you that the three miles around 17-20 are the most painful. You have been on your feet for a few hours but still have at least a 10K to go. Mentally those miles are hard. Physically they hurt.

I - like many others - take offense to his wife saying that it was "only" three miles. I don't care if it was "only" 200 feet -- if you don't run 26.2 mi, you did not complete a marathon. You can pass out at mi 26.1 and, as much as that really sucks, it's a DNF.

Oh, and the different between a 5K and a 10K is 3.1 miles... can I just use my 5K PR as my 10K PR? It's ONLY three miles!

I would have perferred to see him take 6+ hours, and cross the finish line with integrity.

I understand that NBC, who is shocked, I'm sure ::sarcasm:: , pushed for this. They had the van waiting for him, told him to get in, etc. But: we have free will. Just because NBC says 'cheat!' you don't have to say, 'sure, by how much?'.

I'm glad the truth came out. Everyone who runs/ walks 26.2 mi is a marathoner. Sub 3:00 or 7+, 26.2 is an amazing accomplishment.

But: only if it's 26.2.