ATHLETICS INTEGRITY UNIT AND VALENCIA'S MARATHON AND HALF MARATHON IAAF GOLD LABEL ROAD RACES JOIN FORCES TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE INTEGRITY OF THE RACES

19 September 2019, Monaco: The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and S. D. Correcaminos Valencia – the organisers of the famous Valencia Half Marathon and Valencia Marathon – have joined forces to put in place robust integrity measures around the 2019 edition of the two races in the Spanish city.

In June 2019 the IAAF Council approved the introduction of a new anti-doping programme in 2020 to be overseen by the AIU which will focus on a large pool of professional road runners competing in IAAF Label Road Races. The new programme will be funded by contributions from IAAF Label Road Races, together with athletes and athlete representatives.

S.D. Correcaminos Valencia, which has been one of the key advocates of the new anti-doping programme has decided not to wait until 2020 and moved to enhance the integrity of its 2019 events by signing a separate Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the AIU.

Under the MoU for the Valencia Half Marathon and Valencia Marathon, the AIU will develop and execute a bespoke anti-doping programme ensuring that the elite runners in the fields are all properly subjected to intelligence-led testing tailored to their participation in these races. Both the Valencia events are IAAF Gold Label Road Races and among the leading races in the world over their respective distances.

"I want to thank the organisers of the Valencia marathon for making this commitment to clean sport. The MoU once again showcases that the key stakeholders in road running are being proactive in addressing integrity challenges in this segment of the sport of athletics," commented Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU.

"The 2019 editions of these races will be amongst the most well controlled sporting events in the world from an anti-doping perspective. And the exciting thing is that in 2020 many other road race events under the IAAF Label Road Races program will be able to join them in making this claim," he added.

President of S.D. Correcaminos Paco Borao added: "I am very happy to embark on this relationship with the AIU. This is important for the credibility of our races and our sport. As President of AIMS (Association of International Marathons) I’d also like to encourage our members to also commit themselves to this funding mechanism and participate fully in the fight against doping in road running."

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About the Athletics Integrity Unit

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is the independent body created by the IAAF that manages all integrity issues – both doping and non-doping – for the sport of athletics. The remit of the AIU includes anti-doping, the pursuit of individuals engaged in age or competition results manipulation, investigating fraudulent behaviour with regards to transfers of allegiance, and detecting other misconduct including bribery and breaches of betting rules. It is the AIU’s role to drive cheats out of our sport, and to do everything within its power to support honest athletes around the world who dedicate their lives to reaching their sporting goals through dedication and hard work.

Athletics Integrity Unit

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