London Marathon hit by doping claims

The London Marathon on Sunday again highlighted its “zero tolerance policy towards doping” following a report in the Sunday Times that the event was won seven times in 12 years by athletes “who have recorded suspicious blood scores”.

London Marathon chief executive Nick Bitel has criticised athletics’ governing body, the IAAF, over allegations of doping in the sport.

“We proceed to be on the forefront of anti-doping measures for marathon runners as we’re decided to make marathon operating a protected haven from doping however we can’t do all of it on our personal and rely closely on the IAAF“, Bitel stated.

The newspaper has published fresh allegations following its analysis of drugs test data from 2001 to 2012.

“In 1999 the London Marathon was the first organisation to call for blood testing but it took until 2002 for the IAAF and other authorities to get this testing in place and it was immediately introduced in London”. In a statement issued earlier this week, it said it was “aware of serious allegations made against the integrity and competence of its anti-doping programme”.

Last week the Russian Liliya Shobukhova was stripped of her three Chicago marathon titles and 2010 London win, with all her results from 2009 onwards annulled.

The release of the data came in light of separate allegations made by the Sunday Times that past winners of the London Marathon had recorded suspicious blood scores.

‘The IAAF needs to do more to stop people from starting a race that have blood values that are out of normal range.

“What is concerning is that we’re never told these results even though we’re paying tens of thousands of pounds to get these athletes tested”.

The data also showed around one in four winners of marathons in six of the biggest worldwide marathons – including Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York – should have been investigated.

Within the newest allegations of widespread doping in monitor and area, The Sunday Occasions newspaper reported that almost 30 per cent of winners within the 24 males’s and ladies’s London races are suspected of dishonest.

He said the London Marathon pays for the testing of athletes but does not administer the tests, which is done by the UK AntiDoping Agency.

Farah said he will do what it takes to prove he is a clean athlete and is one of eight British athletes defying athletics authorities by agreeing for details of anti-doping blood test data to be made public.

The London Marathon had already announced it was beginning legal proceedings against Shobukhova to recover prizemoney, which Bitel said on BBC’s Sportsweek programme totalled around £500,000.

The test scores – which can suggest, but not prove, illegal doping – were analysed by Michael Ashenden and Robin Parisotto, experts on doping, who concluded that a third of all medals in the Olympics and world championships endurance events were won by athletes with suspicious blood results.

The former double Olympic 1,500m gold medallist, however, accepted some countries are causing a problem to the sport – Russian Federation has had a number of high-profile drugs cheats banned – and Sapstead said some countries “should be held to account”.

“It’s disappointing when any sport is running under the spotlight of doping, for people who are following that sport and for athletes who are under suspicion”.

“UKAD will never disclose or discuss individual athlete data or personal information”.