Press Release - Abbott World Marathon Majors - 1/14/16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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.

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