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Police confront suspected bib thief at Disneyland 10K

Marathon Investigation's Derek Murphy reports that the runner has a lengthy history of stealing race bibs

Disneyland 10K

A woman suspected of stealing a Disneyland 5K race bib was surrounded by Anaheim Police shortly after completing the event’s 10K on Saturday.

At the Anaheim, Calif.-based event, video shows a runner being detained by police after questions arose pre-race that a runner picked a race number paid for by another entrant. It appears the runner has a history of using someone else’s race bib at runDisney events.

Marathon Investigation, a website which Derek Murphy runs that looks into alleged cheaters at various races, first reported of the accused bib thief in question in May at the Tinkerbell Half-Marathon Weekend. As Murphy writes, the incident was of note because “someone was actually able to pick up someone’s original bib. This wasn’t someone making a copy, or using a prior year’s bib to pass off as a current bib.” In the May 17, 2017-dated story, Murphy includes several other races the woman competed in without being registered, some dating back to 2016.

Video

Prior to the Disneyland race, one runner, Melissa Martin Mayorgas, posted publicly on Facebook that her 5K bib had been picked up by someone else, who Murphy says is the same runner from the Tinkerbell Half-Marathon. According to Murphy, the woman, identified as Patty, ran the 10K on Saturday with a legitimate bib, which includes entrance to Sunday’s half-marathon. (The 10K and half-marathon are part of a two-day “Double Dare” challenge.) Mayorgas writes that the alleged bib thief “printed my waiver and forged my name” in regards to the 5K number.

After the 10K, the suspected bib thief was confronted by Disneyland park officials and police. According to San Diego, Calif.-based 10 News, “the woman was not identified since she isn’t being charged with a crime.” She was cited for improper use of a handicap placard, according to 10 News.

“An investigation into the woman’s potential involvement in reports of racing bib thefts is currently ongoing,” Anaheim Police public information officer Daron Wyatt told 10 News.

The Disneyland Half-Marathon Race Weekend is one of the many popular themed-events on the runDisney calendar, which includes the Star Wars Half-Marathon and Walt Disney World Marathon. The three-day event featured a 5K, 10K and half-marathon, all starting at 5 a.m. on consecutive days.


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