I doubt very many people knew who Mike Rossi was even three months ago. This Pennsylvania dad went viral, both on social media and on the national news for his vigilante version of education.  In a nutshell, Mike took his kids out of school to watch him run the Boston Marathon. The school's principal, in-line with procedure, sent them a letter stating that those absences would be unexcused and that an accumulation of absences would result in possible referral to an attendance officer. From my viewpoint, I didn't feel like there were any threats made by the principal, just notification of standard procedure.  Seemingly being passive-aggressive by nature, Mr. Rossi sent back a letter to the principal basically telling them how the trip was more educational than any day they would have in school.  An article regarding the situation can be found here in case you want to be caught up to speed and would like to read about it in more detail.

Not long after (by all appearances, only 2-3 weeks), someone with WAY too much time looked up Mike Rossi and found some irregularities with HOW he qualified for Boston.  Again, just to keep this to a summary in length, some posters on the popular running site LetsRun.com found prior results, as well as social media posts, that seemed to indicate he should not have been able to run a qualifying time at the Lehigh Valley Marathon. In his case, the qualifying time was 3:25 and his "official" time was 3:11.  His reasoning was that Lehigh was "the race of a lifetime" where everything this clicked.

Another factor that played a part in all of this is that Lehigh Valley only had timing mats at the beginning and end of the race, and nothing in the middle. Essentially, the risk is that someone starts the race, hops in a getaway car and pulls up just short of the finish to record an "official" Boston qualifier.  Other people with an abundance of free time clicked through numerous race photos from Lehigh, unable to find Mike Rossi in any pictures.  LetsRun.com did a very thorough analysis with help from readers and put together the following article here.

They were so confident in Mike Rossi cheating to qualify for the Boston Marathon that they offered various cash awards for differing things, none of which Mr. Rossi has accepted so far.

The entire situation is suspicious, and it never would have come into question had the original letter from the principal been handled in a more adult manner.  Only Mike Rossi (and possibly the getaway driver) knows what happened in Lehigh, but there seems to be quite a bit of evidence for the court of public opinion to rule on.

What do you think? Did he legitimately run the time or did he cheat?

Happy Running!

Logan Watley

The 605 Running Co. has recently added the CEP line of compression socks. This line is unmatched in the industry, and at a great price. Below is a list of attributes provided by CEP compression:
Quality Attributes

• 20-30 mmHg from ankle to calf, 18 mmHg consistent compression over the calf
• Special design activates the flow of blood in the muscles
• Perfect anatomical fit
• Highest quality materials and premium craftsmanship for extreme durability
• Microfiber technology for superior comfort
• Extra-flat toe seam

Functional Attributes

• Optimum recovery and performance
• Maximum stability for muscles and joints to help prevent injuries
• Heat and moisture management thanks to hydrophilic design
• Open-pore mesh structure in the calf for excellent ventilation
• Antibacterial, odor-reducing properties
• Padded zones to relieve pressure where it's needed most

Compression is becoming more and more important for the active runner.  According to Kelly Starrett, a world renowned physical therapist and strength coach, the key motivation behind compression, is an easy and effective way to assist the body’s circulation and lymphatic systems in restoring worked tissue. It’s really amazing with something as simple as putting on a pair socks, can help restore the body to its optimal state. Come down today and check out the full line of CEP Compression. 

Stay Healthy,
Wayne Earney MS, CSCS, PES, CES

Pearl Izumi Road N3
Shoe Features

• 3D seamless upper
• 8mm heel drop 
• 11.1 oz

I'm a big fan of the Pearl Izumi brand. The shoe continues to get more and more comfortable as time goes on and the seamless upper is AMAZING. For a high cushion neutral trainer this shoe is everything I look for in terms of comfort, style, and responsiveness.

Cheers,
Greg Koch