I'm guessing it's a modification of a scam that's been around podcasts and even (sometimes fake) conferences. Invite someone, then "oh hey you need to pay X for Y" or maybe asking for some donation to support. Now they're just automated attempts to grab cash

I did laps once on a cruise ship at sea that had a running track. The GPS data was a series of loops, it was pretty amusing.

Wow that really sucks. Sounds like unclear signage, more than incompetence or something. Still, would be really disappointing for folks chasing a BQ, or first timers. Or anyone, really.

I've never DNF'd a half marathon (my longest race) but if I did, and I'd done my best and it just wasn't my day, I think I'd be OK with that. But for it to be this type of error would be aggravating to say the least.

This looks like a great language for the upcoming Advent of Code

Have you read Hanna Reichel? I have not read this book, but I've listened to some interviews they've done and am currently reading their devotional book. This is more theology focused: https://www.wjkbooks.com/bookproduct/0664268196-after-method/

Not sure of your religious background, but I'm an ex-evangelical and, while I'm a white, straight, middle-aged guy, I've found nothing has helped me more than reading non-white and/or non-cis folks in recent years. Mainly because it's perspectives that I have not only appreciated before, but actively thought of as bad in the past.

I listened to the audiobook of this a few months ago. I really enjoyed the story

Yeah, that's my opinion, too. As a runner I'll never qualify for Boston, not least because I've never done a marathon and I have a pretty slow 1/2 time. But I actually do the half marathons, so that slow time is my time. It's so weird to me people feel the need to cheat, but it's flatly wrong to take someone's spot with a bogus time