There's probably a lot of context missing here. Take the London marathon for example. Anyone can take part, but only a few people are allowed to start at the f

There's probably a lot of context missing here. Take the London marathon for example. Anyone can take part, but only a few people are allowed to start at the front. Runners must achieve a certain time at other accredited marathons to be able to start at the front. Those who do are classed as Elite level runners. So I don't see it as a boastful thing, just a matter of fact. If thewizardofaus has reached this status in their sport, then it's reasonable to use the term when describing themselves.