“Long before social media made things like bib replication easier, banditing at major races was viewed as a brave act. Rebellious runners like John Tarrant gatecrashed races as a political statement, in protest of rules about amateurism that limited how much money athletes could earn in appearance fees and endorsements.”

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.