Abbott World Marathon Majors statement on WADA report

The Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) supports this report from WADA. It is a shocking wake-up call not just for the IAAF but for all international sports federations.

The AbbottWMM will continue to take every action possible to ensure that marathon running is a safe haven from doping. As we have said before, we cannot do this alone and have relied on the IAAF as our partners. We know that the IAAF will continue to be under close scrutiny and we support IAAF President Seb Coe’s plans for full-scale reforms within the organization. We want to work with the IAAF to ensure these reforms are delivered in the right way. We are determined to ensure that our sport is clean and well-managed.

For many years, we have led the way in introducing and campaigning for new measures in anti-doping.

In the past twelve months alone, AbbottWMM has:

• Created the world’s biggest privately funded anti-doping programme with more than 150 named athletes required to participate in a minimum of six out-of-competition tests each year (these tests are in addition to IAAF or National Federation tests)
• Revised the process of payment for AbbottWMM Series prize money so that the $500,000 prize purse for each individual Series winner is paid out over a five year period, thus enabling effective financial penalty if there are subsequent biological passport mapping issues

In addition, any athlete who has been found guilty of any anti-doping rules enforced by the IAAF, WADA, National Federations or any of the individual AbbottWMM races is not eligible to win the AbbottWMM Series title.

Furthermore, any athlete banned for more than six months by the IAAF, WADA, National Federations or any of the individual AbbottWMM races for a doping offence is banned for life from AbbottWMM Series races.

We will continue to lead the way and do all we can to ensure the integrity of the sport and safeguard the integrity of the global anti-doping programme.

Tim Hadzima
General Manager, Abbott World Marathon Majors