Edna Kiplagat and Buzunesh Dibaba are among the athletes set to receive rightful prize money from the Boston Marathon after being elevated due to disqualifications for doping.
Edna Kiplagat and Buzunesh Deba are just a few months away from adding millions to their wealth following the recent update from the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), the organisers of the Boston Marathon.
The organisers announced that they will be out to compensate athletes affected by the doping menace regarding prize money starting January 2025. They announced that they would give voluntary payments to athletes who were affected by doping and their results had to be re-ranked.
They will date back to 1986, the first year when prize money was introduced. Edna Kiplagat and Buzunesh Deba were elevated to first place after Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo (2014) and Diana Kipyokei (2021) were disqualified for doping.
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Deba and Kiplagat had both been awarded the prize money for second-place finishers but have since been recognised as winners and will need the compensation. For Deba, she even broke the course record, meaning she will be added a bonus on top of $25,000.
As confirmed by the Canadian Running Magazine, Deba will be issued the prize money in January. This will be on top of the money she was awarded by Philadelphia businessman Doug Guyer earlier this year. He sent Deba a USD $75,000 cheque.
“While the multi-step process to reclaim and redistribute prize money has been complex and time consuming for all involved, we have worked – and continue to work—diligently towards a resolution that supports clean athletes while still holding all athletes accountable,” Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the B.A.A said in a press release.
“Athletes will receive the prize money they rightfully earned at our races with these payments. We are supporting athletes who competed in our events, and who believed they would be rewarded for their top finishing place. We are doing what we can to ensure fair competition among athletes, and we will always seek to play host to the fairest of playing fields at all of our events.”
The total payments to all the athletes who suffered will amount to $300,000 and the athletes who are guilty of doping offences will be ineligible for compensation.
The organisers also emphasised the need to collaborate with the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to ensure athletes compete in a fair way.
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