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The blood won’t lie, Comrades drug cheats

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In a bid to clamp down on drug cheats, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has warned of implementing more stringent blood tests, as opposed to urine tests, at this year’s race.

A number of runners who finished in the top 10 in the previous editions of the tradition-steeped ultramarathon were stripped of their medals and prize monies after testing positive for banned substances.

Sandile Ngunuza, who finished ninth at last year’s race, was the latest runner to lose his prize after a failed drug test.

Ngunuza’s case was the second year in a row a local runner had been stripped of a gold medal after Martinique Potgieter was banned for two years following a positive test for banned substances at the 2014 event.

CMA general manager Chris Fisher told City Press this week that the organisers wanted to make a bold statement long before this year’s down run on May 29.

“Our partnering with KwaZuku-Natal Athletics this year, with more technology and officials, will certainly increase the chances of us identifying irregular behaviour on race day,” said Fisher.

“It is the concerned runners who are bringing such behaviour to our attention. They are supplying us with names so we know where to look. No doubt, the more platforms we communicate this message from, the less the likelihood of cheating. Which is the end state that we desire. So these measures are put in place going forward.”

Based on previous violations, the most common of the illegal stimulants found in the tests has been methylhexaneamine (used mainly as a fat metaboliser or burner) and nandrolone (an anabolic steroid).

Asked what the CMA’s stance on former offenders returning to the Comrades was, Fisher said “they may participate once they have served [their] bans”.

“This is an area we are also currently looking into. I trust this sheds some more light on our attempts to stamp out cheating. There is no place for it and, if caught and found guilty, we will certainly name and shame them. In fact, we will take pleasure in sharing such names with all forms of the media.”

With its lucrative prize money of R375 000 each for the winning man and woman, the Comrades is always on the radar of the SA anti-doping agency – the race attracts all manner of cheats.

The CMA said they were not only keeping an eye on drug cheats but on runners taking short cuts along the race route.

Back-of-the-pack cheating has become prevalent since the case of the Motsoeneng twins, Sergio and Arnold, who ran only about half the marathon in 2001, when Sergio ostensibly made it into the top 10.

He was flagged and had to forfeit his gold medal and R90 000 prize money.

Now the so-called park and ride gang will be under the surveillance of Comrades’ Big Brother – consisting of race officials, marshals, volunteers and fellow runners – who will all be on the lookout for suspicious split times or questionable behaviour.

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