“For professional athletes, the motives for cheating generally are more obvious: money, fame, and often a low likelihood of being caught. But why would a middle- or back-of-the-pack runner lie or cheat in a race that doesn't even matter?”

American journalist and filmmaker

Mary Pilon is an American journalist and filmmaker who covers sports and business. She has written for major outlets including The New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Her books include The Monopolists, The Kevin Show, Losers: Dispatches From the Other Side of the Scoreboard, and The Longest Race, which she co-authored with Olympian Kara Goucher. Her reporting and writing often reflect the worlds of competition, money, and the people shaped by both.