Boston Marathon to pay athletes impacted by doping offenders
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 28.11.24. | 13:14
The re-ranking process applies retroactively, with payouts dating back to 1986, when the BAA first introduced prize money to its events, including the iconic Boston Marathon
The Boston Athletic Association (BAA), organizer of the world’s oldest annual marathon, has announced plan to contact athletes entitled to prizes after their results were re-ranked due to doping cheats that led to some competitors being disqualified.
The re-ranking process applies retroactively, with payouts dating back to 1986, when the BAA first introduced prize money to its events, including the iconic Boston Marathon.
BAA President and CEO Jack Fleming acknowledged the challenges of reclaiming and redistributing the funds, noting that they were working towards supporting clean athletes.
“While the multi-step process to reclaim and redistribute prize money has been complex and time-consuming for all involved, we have worked and continue to work diligently towards a resolution that supports clean athletes. Athletes will receive the prize money they rightfully earned at our races with these payments,” Fleming said.
Doping scandals have cast a shadow over marathon running in recent years.
Notably, Kenya’s Diana Kipyokei was stripped of her 2021 Boston Marathon title and handed a six-year ban for doping violations.
Following this revelation, fellow Kenyan Edna Kiplagat was elevated to first place.
Similarly, Ethiopia’s Buzunesh Deba was declared the 2014 Boston Marathon winner after Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo, the original titleholder, was found guilty of doping.
Deba, who also set a course record of 2:19:59 in that race, is now set to receive $103,000 in prize money, including a $25,000 bonus for the record and $3,000 for a 2016 re-ranking that moved her from seventh to sixth place.
The BAA had previously been unable to pay Deba, as it sought to recover the $100,000 prize initially awarded to Jeptoo.
During this period, Boston Marathon fan Doug Guyer stepped in, providing Deba with $75,000 of his own money, a gesture Deba described as “life-changing.”
In total, 80 athletes from eight Boston Marathons and nine runners from the Boston 5K are expected to receive payouts totaling $300,000.
The BAA has encouraged athletes who believe they were disadvantaged by doping to come forward and apply for reimbursement. Payments are scheduled to begin in January.
Fleming emphasized the organization’s commitment to maintaining integrity in the sport.
“We are doing what we can to ensure fair competition among athletes, and we will always seek to play host to the fairest of playing fields at all of our events.”
The BAA works closely with the Athletics Integrity Unit, the World Anti-Doping Agency, and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to uphold clean competition.
With these partnerships, the BAA aims to rebuild trust and support athletes competing honestly in its events.
Sisay Lemma, of Ethiopia, set a blistering pace to win the 2024 Boston Marathon, clocking 2:06:17, the 10th fastest time in the race's 128-year history.
In the women's category, Hellen Obiri defended her title after crossing the line in 2:22:37. She became the first woman to win back-to-back Boston marathons since 2005.
