How are we not discussing this?

Hard to to believe no one knows who they are yet.

It is on RW and even a Wall Street journal blog has picked it up. I like this version.

http://fittish.deadspin.com/do-you-know-these-runners-because-theyre-probably-bast-1567215283?fb_action_ids=10201836983585696&fb_action_types=og.likes

No.  Banditing used to be considered mildly amusing.  Now, it is unacceptable.

Lauren is identified as a Boston student   She has taken down her FB and linked in account from what people are saying.

Sadly the increased security did not stop those who wanted to bandit the race. I took care of a bandit that dropped out at mile 23. We treat bandits the same we would a registered runner. I thought the guy was cool until he told me he was a bandit. I hope by sharing this story these guys get the humiliation they deserve.

I'm sure these kids never expected their faces to be plastered everywhere from this.  Other runners have come forward too, showing similar pictures of people running with their bib numbers.  All of the duplicate bib bandits seem to be around the same age.  They're probably all Boston or former Boston students who got the idea from the same place/person.

This is all over FB here. RW folks have been on this all day. You folks have better info than they have. The old argument that bandits can potentially take away the water from others etc. always seemed to work out okay when I ran it in the past. Monday with a lot less bandits the last 2 water stations were low on water which I'm guessing was because of the heat.

Ironic how this sounds familiar to last year when everyone was trying to ID the bombers, posting pictures of innocent people who had their lives ruined. Anyone could photo shop a bib onto someone they dislike or and post it.

Someone on RW posted names of a bunch of alleged BQ cheaters. (folks who BQed at other races by skipping mats) It was quite a long thread and I posted something along the likes of is it worth the lawsuit, and that Rodale was liable also. Next day I looked and the thread was gone for some reason.

Back in 1996 for the centential there was much discussion among qualifiers about bandits taking away resources from the anticipated largest field in Boston history (36,748 starters; 35,868 finishers). The race director responded that bandits have become as much a part of Boston tradition as the post race beef stew and kissing "bandits" at Wellesley. Everyone held their breath, trusting everything would unfold race day without a hitch. I wore a message on my shirt protesting the bandits for this particular year. But to my surprise management accounted for all 38,708 official entrants and who knows how many bandits. They started well behind me and I didn't see anyone w/o a bib in the race.

With the tragic events in last year's race the BAA has obviously changed their position and out-lawed bandits this year. Of course, they out-lawed headphones too and we've seen how that played out. Apparently there were fewer runners that openly participated as bandits but there will always be people that want to run but are unable or unwilling to put in the work to qualify or lack fundraising skills/know someone. While the memories of 2013 are still fresh I imagine the attention to bandits will be relaxed in the future and their numbers will increase. I'm not as hardcore as most about the issue of bandits but I've always felt that Boston is one race, because if it's unique qualifying protocal, should be reserved for those that earn it.