An amateur marathon investigator from the US says he has proven that a first-time teenage runner couldn't have cheated in the London Marathon.

The mother of 18-year-old Ryan Lee has been scouring Greenwich and Charlton for images that prove her son ran the first 5k of the race after the tracking mat didn’t register him running the first stretch of the race.

Derek Murphy, a blogger who exposes cheats in the Boston Marathon, says he has identified Ryan in a picture alongside other runners at mile 1.2 which proves it was an error with his start time that caused the discrepancy.

News Shopper:

Derek Murphy says this picture was taken 1.2 miles into the course - and four minutes before Ryan supposedly crossed the start line

He told News Shopper: “That picture was taken about 10.12am. If Ryan had started at his recorded start time of 10.16am it would be absolutely impossible for him to be at that point and cross the start line four minutes later.

“He would have literally had to travel back in time to be photographed crossing the start line at 10.16.

“Really the only way that photo can’t be used to vindicate Ryan is if they claim it is not of him but another runner.

“I have checked the photo carefully and his appearance, hair, jacket, shoes, even the colour of his shoelaces seem to match the race photos taken before the start of the marathon.

“If you believe that is Ryan in the photo - and I do - I'd say it's irrefutable.”

News Shopper:

Ryan’s mother Elizabeth Lee is waiting for the outcome of the investigation and is feeling cautiously optimistic that he could be vindicated.

They were initially told by marathon organisers that Ryan would have to run 10k in 33 minutes to prove his recorded time.

She said: “I don’t see how much more we can look into it.

“If we can’t get a proper time that’s fine but I want him to be cleared of cheating.

“I know that he ran it and I can’t think of any other explanation than that the start line was off and the times were incorrect.

“I’m not looking for trouble or to make enemies – I just won’t have any of my children branded unfairly.”

A spokesman for the London Marathon told News Shopper there would be no further comment until the investigation is completed.

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