UPDATED: 'Biggest Loser' issues a marathon apology for misleading viewers

It was an inspiring finish to this week's two-part episode of NBC's "The Biggest Loser": Dane, who lost 100 pounds in just eight weeks before being eliminated from the weight-loss competition, is seen running a marathon alongside his fit-and-trim wife and crossing the finish line in what appears to be an eye-popping time of three hours and 53 minutes.

Only it didn't happen. Dane got himself an assist to the finish line courtesy of a field producer. UPDATED: Here's the statement Dane released late Friday:

"I always intended to run the full marathon. At the 17th mile, I knew I would not make it in time to cross the finish line before it closed at 6 hours, so I then received a ride from the field producer, who wanted to show me crossing the finish line. He drove me for three miles, and then I ran the rest of the way. After all the filming was done I went back and finished the last 3 miles later that day with my wife and cousin Blaine. I apologize for stating that I ran the entire marathon before I actually ran the whole 26 miles. I am proud of the feat of just running 26 miles in one day."

Here's the statement issued earlier in the day by Reveille, one of the show's producers:

As the Executive Producers of The Biggest Loser we would like to make an official apology and set the record straight with regards to the claim in last nights episode that Dane completed a marathon in Arizona.

After seeing on various online blogs that this information may be inaccurate we investigated the claim and found that Dane had not indeed completed the marathon unaided. From our internal investigation we learned that Dane ran the first 17 miles before receiving a ride from the field producer for 3 miles before rejoining the race at the 20 mile mark whereupon he completed the race.

We are incredibly proud of Dane for running 23 miles and losing over 130 lbs on his weight loss journey so far and wish him luck as he continues his new healthy lifestyle. We have also taken the necessary action to ensure that there is no future misrepresentations and sincerely apologize for misleading our loyal viewers and it was certainly not our intent but an unwitting mistake.

We hope they will continue to be inspired and motivated by all of our contestants and follow them as they continue to change their lives.

Here's NBC's statement:

In the final segment of last night's episode of “The Biggest Loser,” which updated viewers on the status of an eliminated contestant, the former contestant was shown running a marathon in his home state of Arizona. NBC today learned that the contestant did not, in fact, run the entire marathon as depicted in the segment. Because the segment as aired was contrary to NBC policy, we are working with the program producers to determine how this occurred, and to ensure that corrective action is taken.

Sources close to the production said this is what happened:

Dane was eliminated on Thursday night’s show, kicked off by fellow contestants who believed –— rightly — that he was one of the front-runners to win the $250,000 prize that will be handed out to the person who loses the largest percentage of his or her body weight. As is customary, the epilogue to the elimination is a segment in which the cameras catch up with the contestant today, to see whether the weight loss is continuing at home.

Dane’s epilogue was, seemingly, one of the most inspirational in recent memory when it was announced that he’d been training for and had completed a marathon.

But it turns out that an overeager field producer who was following Dane on race day realized that "The Biggest Loser" contestant would not finish the marathon by the six-hour cutoff time, which in turn meant that the producer would not get the footage of Dane crossing the finish line in personal victory. So the field producer picked Dane up in a vehicle and then dropped him a few miles closer to the finish. While the finish time in the background appeared to be 3:53, it was actually 5:53 — the descrepancy being caused by some bum lightbulbs on the time clock that made the 5 appear to be a 3, the source said.

The source also said Dane was so upset that he accepted the ride and didn't run the full distance that he went back later in the day — with his cousin Blaine, who was also with him on the show — and ran the missing miles so that he could say he did indeed run 26.2 miles.

The source said the fabrication came to NBC's attention after that apparent sub-four-hour finish time — an enviable pace for even an experienced runner — set off alarm bells in many corners, including among other runners in the marathon, and the blogosphere began buzzing about whether such a pace was possible for a big guy like Dane. (Kudos to TVBarn.com, which did a great job of covering the unfolding story with the tart headline, "The Biggest Loser" — or is that "Biggest Liar"? — fabricates account of contestant finishing marathon).

The traditional morning-after conference call with the week's eliminated contestant — in this case, Dane — was abruptly canceled.

NBC has rescheduled the conference call for Monday.

Another source close to "The Biggest Loser" said there was a feeling of sadness because the show "relies on its integrity" in a world where reality programming is often suspect, and this person hoped this didn't overshadow Dane's accomplishments. "Dane is such a nice guy," the source said.

It was unclear what, if anything, will happen to the field producer.

In the meantime, what do you think about this development? Does this hurt the show's credibility?

— Rene Lynch

Photo credit: NBC Universal

Comments

[Craig Kern]

I don't believe he ran 26 miles over 10 days. He is still too far out of shape and too heavy to run that far. And so far they lied about finishing and the time. So did he ride the first 17 miles in an ice cream truck?

[Jeannie]

As I runner when I saw that time I knew it was not true. He didn't look winded or hurting at all when he crossed the finish line and at 312lbs for 26.2 miles that is not possible. I am glad the truth did come out and shame on you NBC!

[Liz]

I have been a fan of "Biggest Loser" for years because it is a realistic depiction of individuals bravely overcoming temptations and dedicating themselves to changing their lives for the better.
Until now. Shame on Dane, shame on the, "...overeager field producer", and shame on "Biggest Loser" at the highest level for not accepting the responsibility to acknowledge that this was pure, unadulterated CHEATING! For the "Biggest Loser" PR to come out, as if to justify, why the field producer drove Dane, and why Dane let him, is beyond belief. To try and give credence that Dane had worked so hard in his 'heroic' attempt to complete a marathon..blah, blah, blah is a perfect example of how this society has lowered its standards to the point of trying to justify blatant cheating. Speaking as a 1 time marathoner who ran/ walked the Marine Corps Marathon in 6 hours and 59 minutes I can tell you how proud I, and everyone I know, was because I had completed it, the finishing time was irrelevant. Jillian & Bob - I can only hope that you are as outraged & disappointed at this cheating as we all are. You have both poured yourselves into changing people's lives the old fashioned way - by HARD WORK. You, and the many conscientious contestants of great integrity that have been on "Biggest Loser" do not deserve to be categorized with the likes of Dane, the "...overeager field producer", and the executives at "Biggest Loser" who did not come clean on their own. They were EXPOSED. Would they have come forth voluntarily? I doubt it. Dane should be disqualified, the field producer should be fired and the executives, including the PR department should re-think their business sense and, more importantly, their common sense...which clearly does not exist. Maybe they have a future in banking at the CEO level!

[greg]

Okay, let's just cut Dane some slack here! Yes, this was clearly misleading & when I saw it my immediate instinct was suspicion that he really did it, which turned out he didn't. However, kudos to him for going back afterwards to finish the 3 miles he skipped. He has lost an additional 30 lbs since leaving 'loser' for a total of 130 lbs.
So let's all give him a break -- pin this one on the field producer who clearly didn't think his actions through!!!
I'm 49 & otherwise in good health but like a lot of us, can stand to lose 20 (or 30) lbs. I golfed & walked 18 holes (about 5 miles) with my girlfriend yesterday for the first time in 6 months and really feel the aches today!
Obviously I couldn't come close to running 26.2 miles in 6 hours!!
Kudos to Dane & I hope he completes his total weight loss / improved lifestyle journey.

[RunnerGirl]

Congrats, Dane! I think the sad part is that instead of NBC realizing what an accomplishment this was and filming his "true" finish, they felt they had to embellish and therefore reduce theirs and Dane's credibility. The fact that he finished is great; the way it was accomplished is dishonest. Keep up the good work, Dane! Just leave NBC out of it next time!

[rcmpvern]

The trainer-assisted intensive workouts and diets and contest for the most rapid weight gain is not a healthy way to lose weight.
Most contestants will most likely rebound and be overweight again.
Running a marathon may be the most unhealthy thing for a"Greatest Loser" to do.
Except for a small fraction of long distance runners (mostly in Ethiopia and Kenya) athletes lose fitness during the recovery period after a marathon.
For a first-time marathoner with extra pounds pounding their poorly-developed legs with poor running style, a marathon recovery period could be 6 months or more.
Without being able to do extensive walking or other weight-bearing exercise for that long probably will cause a weight rebound, even if healthy methods were used to drop the weight and get "in shape".
The marathon is a terrible distance for 90 percent of people to run.
Too bad there isn't a cool name for the 25K or half-marathon distance, because that is the longest that most people should race.
It's better for you to run two 25K runs a year than one marathon every two years as your weight and fitness yo-yos.
This TV show and people like Oprah celebrating the marathon, and the poor people who slog through 5 and 6 hour marathons are not good examples to the un-fit.

[Dan B]

I understand his goal of wanting to run 26.2 miles in one day... That's cool... But, to get to the 17th mile, hitch a ride for a few miles, get some photos, AND TO ACCEPT A FINISHER'S MEDAL is where the problem is. Especialy after he chilled for a little bit and then went back and finished after his concience caught up with him. If you do not graduate, you do not get a diploma, if you do not finish Ironman in under 17 hours, you will not recieve a medal and will have to wait to be called an Ironman, if the course guidelines are 6 hours or less... Run as far as you can, and if you miss the cutoff, so be it.... But to miss the time, get a ride, cross the finish line AND ACCEPT A FINISHER"S MEDAL is where the integrity issue lies. 13 months ago I weighed 400 pounds, today I weigh 204 and this past Saturday completed my 2nd marathon in 4:23:01 (Official Chip Time) Kudos for the weight loss, but don't accept a finisher's medal when you are not a finisher, and the dang media.... Ya'll have as much integrity as the Leaning Tower of Piza... Crooked, yet still standing....

[Jason]

I was one of the people writing to the producers. I have ran 3 marathons in my life and I am in excellent condition. My best time is 3 hours and 10 minutes. This guy did it in 3:53? What a crock. Now I have to question how many he had actually ran.

You can walk a marathon in 8-9 hours. He was picked up at the 17 mile mark and dropped off at 20? and finished under 6? I can walk a mile in 10 minutes at a brisk pace and that would put me at 5 hours.

I do not believe he ran even close to the whole thing. Here are somethings to look at. At the finish he was with his wife and running in the Arizona desert, probably around 70 degrees. For a guy who sweated buckets just doing light exercise he was not even wet.

I believe he was picked up along the route because he gassed out, which I do not loose any respect for him, it is hard as hell. He probably was brought to the finish line and when his wife was coming the producers thought, lets get him in the shot. He probably did not even think anything of it until he found out it was going to look bad.

I would guess he probably ran 10-15 miles, which is a major wall. Now he is caught up in this fire storm because he trusted the producers. NBC and the show has lost all credibility going forth. I wonder if those contestants actually rode that bike for 24 hours. I highly doubt it now.

[Bill]

Why couldn't he do the other 3 miles in the 2 hours and 7 minutes? Something else seems wrong with this, but who cares the people on the show are a bunch of whiners anyway.

[Vicki]

I can't believe people are blaming Dane...it was the NBC producer who did it for ratings not the BL contestant. The BL contestant signed a contract making his decisions and his image NBC's so NBC probably threatened him and told him he had to do it.

[Sarah]

This story really urkes me. On the Runner's World.com forum there are dozens of messages from runners who feel insulted by either this guy and his wife, the tv show, NBC or all three. There are alot of people out there who get turned down for the Biggest Loser every year who would have run this marathon HONESTLY, not cheated. I cannot believe Dane took a medal and claimed that her "earned" it even though he didn't run the full marathon (I don't care he ran 3 miles later, it wasn't during the race so it doesn't count!). Honestly I don't care if this guy continues his weight loss journey or if he continues to run, he doesn't have any place in the running community in my opinion. He insults all of us who train HARD to run 5ks, 10ks, halfs or full marathons.

[Jose Rodriguez]

I am a runner and I was amazed that a guy of his size was able to finish in 3 hours and 53 minutes... Of course, I'm glad that the facts came out.... Yes, he did his 17 miles, which is a good accomplishment... and he did lose the weight, which is an even bigger accomplishment...

However, he should have never succumbed to peer pressure from others to make the show look good... that, unfortunately, will be his biggest mistake.. and one which a great number will remember... Does anyone remember the old saying, 'My name is Mudd'?

[SPg]

You guys really need to read the article before you respond; The clock in the back was busted, his time was 5:53, not 3:53; Without the ride he would have had to do three
more miles in 7 minutes; they didn't pad his time to look impressive; Yes, they shouldn't have used that shot; Yes he should have just ran it out and they could have filmed him crossing to the cheers of nobody but his family, but the producer wanted "the shot". I can see how a person with no experience with "fame" would feel pressured to do what he's asked by the show that has changed his life... perhaps saved his life. Heck, he went on national television without his shirt so people could laugh as his fatness, all for the chance to lose weight. (You can't tell me people suffer this kind of exposure for a random chance at $250k.) Even losing the weight he has, JesseR's first impression of him is "that fatass"... It wouldn't matter if he had finished the race with a world record time; He's always going to be "that fatass" to some people if he looks overweight. You poor marathon runners that are misdirecting your anger at him and not the unnamed producer should think about having that over your head before you complain about your "disrespected" accomplishments.

[steve]

People who are standing up for the situation just do not get it. Both Dane and NBC cheated and painted a portrait of victory.

I think it is great that people go on the show and loose the weight. It is a huge accomplishment for people who somewhere along lives path took a wrong road.

But Dane cheated himself, his wife, any other person who trained for the marathon. It is very easy to stand up and say I did it than just to be honest and say, i did not complete the whole thing. By getting into that vehicle he knew exactly what he was doing.

No one would have thought any less of him if he did not complete the whole thing. Now he lost any credibility he had, the other contestants will loose their credibility, everyone now will question NBC.

I feel pity for him now. He came onto the show with low self esteem because of his weight and now he is going to be considered a fraud. But I went back and finished it is for you, not us, you should have just said I did not finish it and shut your mouth.

[SPbyKFED]

To be honest, I paid no attention to how long it took him. It means nothing to me. I dont run marathons, so I would have no idea if that time was fast or slow. The # of pounds lost is the impressive part! I do agree though that instead of going for the big WOW factor, they very well should have let him cross the finish line in the dark! Even if it was just his family that was there to cheer him on. THAT would have brought tears to my eyes! Just to know that you did it, no matter how long would have been inspirational to us all! Plus I am sure if asked, the "officials" would have stayed too. I mean it IS tv right?

[Melanie]

My gosh! I can't believe what a big deal everyone is making out of this. First of all, as far as NBC is concerned, Dane now "works" for them - I am sure there was some heavy influence on the field producer's part. I doubt that Dane just jumped into the car and said, "Great! I'd love to trick America!" Rather, I'd be willing to bet that he has obligations and contracts to keep because of his involvement in the show.
Secondly, I'm a small person and a former runner- and guess what! I couldn't run 17 miles straight through! His accomplishments are incredible and to gripe and whine over one mistake (on a "reality" television show of all things!) is ridiculous. Who actually buys into everything reality television spews at them?
Finally, I saw a couple of remarks stating he should be disqualified, along with his cousin. Wow. Let's just mercilessly crucify everyone who was roped into a mildly bad decision and let's make sure we offer no kindness or compassion-even if someone comes clean, shows remorse, and even tries to make things right. Geesh. Quit the finger pointing, start recognizing the good in people, and get a life of your own!

[CactusMan]

Who cares about the marathon- totally unimportant. It all about weight loss. PERIOD. !!!!!
The very fact that he could lose 100 pounds in 8 weeks is amazing and the fact that he could run 23 or so miles is amazing.
Before being on the Biggest Loser - he couldn't do anything physical.

[Jill]

You know, Dane has lost a lot of weight, but the fact that he was at the time of the marathon still a big guy and his wife is itty bitty-- well it just didn't make sense that they finished the marathon together.. and in less than 4 hours. Seriously, I know the trainers kick your butt at the Ranch but unless that trainer was behind him the whole marathon, he couldn't have finished in the same amount of time that his slender wife did. Just not buying it. Didn't buy it. Sure am disappointed. The show had nothing to gain by faking the marathon finish.. yet lots to lose... no pun intended. I'm a faithful watcher and will still be faithful, just a little more skeptical when it comes to the updates. Hopefully the viewers will not let it ruin their love of the show and the producer that pulled this stunt will get a swift kick in the rear for trying to fool us.

[Pilikea]

I enjoy watching the biggest loser, and am still inspired by it. That beingf said, what is disturbing is that Dane was presented with a choice. He accepted aid and crossed the finish line without having run the full 26.2 mile RACE. He cheated. An organized marathon such as the Desert Classic Marathon is, when all is said and done, a race. With a time limit. If you cannot finish within the time limit, you are not considered a finisher. That is why neither Dane nor his wife carli appear in the Desert Classic's Marathon results. A proper move on their part. People who choose to attempt a marathon do it usually for very personal reasons. The staisfaction from having completed one is immense and indescribable. Dane's choice to participate in hte fraud shows a lack of personal integrity which is to say the least disappointing. I hope he trains for another one and actually completes it so he will know truly how it feels.

[Dan]

As a marathon coach, I can tell you that I once helped a participant (a walker) finish a marathon in almost 8 hours, after the course had been closed. I have to tell you that that experience was more inspirational than watching a quality runner cross the line in less than 4 hours. IT WAS FAR MORE INSPIRATIONAL!!! Seeing someone struggle and overcome insurmountable odds is what the marathon is all about. REALITY show??? You gotta be joking! Viewers, producers and contestants alike would do themselves a great service by throwing their TV's out the window and going for a walk or run every day instead. And by the way: my family & I don't watch TV. I only responded to this because it involved the marathon.