Meet Two Race Sleuths Trying to Keep Marathoners Honest

For runners of road races, spring is a busy season. As temperatures rise, weekend racing ramps up — especially for those training for this month's Boston Marathon.

It's also crunch time for the sleuths sniffing out runners who cheat to get to that crown jewel of races.

Derek Murphy is one of these self-appointed race detectives. He's a business analyst in suburban Cincinnati and recreational runner who pores over race data to catch cheaters across the country. It's been his pastime for about two years, and he pays special attention to the Boston Marathon. This year, race day is April 17, so he's now in the home stretch.

"It's a good thing I'm not a tax accountant, too, because I wouldn't get anything done," Murphy says.

He — and other sleuths — for years in online running forums, but Murphy's methods often go a step beyond. He also uses spreadsheets, algorithms and analysis to put the pieces together.