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No race is immune to scandal in the long run

The Philadelphia Marathon, half marathon and 8k might be small potatoes on the professional running circuit, but they're not immune to the reach of doping scandals that have rocked Russian and Kenya in recent months.

In August, a German documentary claimed that 146 world champions and Olympians had drug tests that raised red flags. Of the medals won, more than 80 of the suspicious tests by medalists were Russian and 18 were Kenyan. Since then, dominos have fallen in both countries, with investigations raising allegations about each country's anti-doping agencies playing a part in making sure that the athletes could still dope and look clean, therefore making the doping state-sponsored.

Earlier this month, the International Association of Athletics Federations took the unprecedented step of provisionally banning Russian track and field athletes from competition. If that ruling holds up after appeals, there will be no Russian Athletes in track and field events at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Kenyan athletes could face the same fate.

The races taking place in Philadelphia this weekend may be a blip on the professional racing circuit, but that doesn't mean they're immune to these scandals. Both Kenyans and Russians have won these races before.

It's important to not that there have been no reports of positive tests among winners of the Philadelphia races, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Smaller events are still targets of dopers looking for quick cash prizes. That's because of both the sophistication of drugs, and a drug testing policy put forth by Philadelphia Marathon race officials that automatically test every winner.

Why dope in Philadelphia?

The Philadelphia Marathon, half marathon and 8k are minor events in the world of professional running because of the small prizes available. Prizes for first place for men and women in the marathon are $3,500 with potential bonuses of $1,500 for breaking the course record and $1,000 for first Philadelphian.

Compare that to the New York City Marathon, where the top prize for men and women is $100,000 with bonuses ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for breaking set time marks.

Sure, the New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world, but the Houston Marathon, which is similar in size to the Philadelphia Marathon, still dwarfs our city's race in prizes. First place men and women win $40,000 with bonuses for setting the course record ($30,000), world record ($100,000) and time bonuses ($1,000 to $10,000).

So dopers would go elsewhere with bigger prizes, right? Not necessarily. Race weekend here includes the 8k and half marathon, which are run on two different days, so runners could compete in and win both without taxing their legs.

The top prize in the Philadelphia Half Marathon is $2,500 with a potential course record bonus of $1,000. Top prize in the 8k is $1,000 with a potential course record bonus of $500. Snagging all of those prizes means a $5,000 payday for one weekend of running. And because the races are relatively low profile, they don't attract the world's top running stars, which means a better opportunity to take all $5,000 home.

Weak testing

Philadelphia Marathon race official declined to comment on their testing policies beyond pointing to the FAQ on the race website that says that as USA Track & Field Sanctioned Events, athletes who participate in all races are subject to formal drug testing in accordance with USA Track & Field and/or IAAF rules and that athletes who test positive for a banned substance or refused to be tested will be disqualified.

"In line with guidelines adopted by the USADA and generally practiced as part of drug testing protocol, the GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon does not disclose specific information regarding drug testing, including the number of tests performed."

Marathon officials would not reveal whether or not they've ever exercised the right to test runners.

Even if runners are tested after winning the races, they still could be doping and get away with it.

"It's worthless on the day because you only catch the idiots at that point," said Jim Ferstle, who writes the Down the Backstretch newsletter and has been covering doping in track and field since 1987.

That's not only because you know that a potential test is coming, but for athletes who are using erythropoietin, more commonly known as EPO, which improves oxygen delivery to your muscles, doesn't hang around in the body long. "You can't detect it after an hour or two hours. It is metabolized and out of your system," Ferstle said.

Even if someone is caught, the legal challenges in proving that the EPO was introduced to the body versus naturally produced can deter a race organization from taking action. What exposed the alleged Kenyan and Russian doping regimes wasn't runners caught taking drugs, but whistleblowers.

The stakes make seem low here in Philadelphia, but Ferstle says that runners still dope to win smaller prizes. They'll come to the U.S. to win a bunch of races then go home because the money goes so much further there. He's also seen amateurs dope in races that don't offer any prize money simply for the glory.

"You're not going to find a more competitive group of people that elite level athletes," Ferstle said. "Do you train harder than they do, or do you find some other short cut or way to enhance your performance? This was a logical piece of the puzzle."

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