W40 Russian runner loses world marathon record, gets 2-year ban

Mariya has been a stud for a decade.

Mariya has been a stud since the late 1990s.

Russia’s Mariya Konovalova, who until 2010 was primarily a track star, set a W40 world record in the marathon in March. But oops! She’s no longer the record-holder. Runner’s World reports that Mariya, who took fifth in the 2008 Olympic 10K and 11th at 2009 IAAF worlds, “has received a two-year ban because of irregularities in her biological passport…. In addition, Konovalova’s competitive record dating to 2009 will be erased. Konovalova received the ban from the Russian athletics federation, which has been under intense scrutiny for allegedly facilitating and/or ignoring systematic use of performance-enhancing drugs by Russian athletes. The World Anti-Doping Agency is scheduled to release a report on doping in Russia on Monday.” Yeah, throw masters under the bus first. She even appears in mastersrankings.com.

Runner’s World continued:

In March, Konovalova, 41, ran her personal best of 2:22:27 at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon in Japan. That time took more than two minutes off the previous women’s masters marathon record of 2:24:54, set by Irina Mikitenko of Germany in 2013. With Konovalova’s competitive record dating to 2009 erased, Mikitenko will again be considered the record holder.

Konovalova was a veteran track racer who ran her first marathon in London in 2010. She placed second at the 2010 Chicago Marathon, and third in Chicago in 2013. In the original results of the 2010 Chicago race, Konovalova was third, with fellow Russian Liliya Shobukhova listed as the winner. In 2014, Shobukhova received a two-year doping ban, and her competitive record dating to 2009 was erased. As with Konovalova, her ban and erasure of competitive record were based on irregularities in her biological passport, which tracks blood values over time to look for significant changes thought to be associated with doping.

American Desiree Linden, originally the fourth finisher at Chicago in 2010, will now appear as having placed second.

Konovalova’s ban comes one day after Lamine Diack, the former head of the IAAF, the sport’s governing body, was reported to be under investigation for accepting money to ignore doping by Russian athletes.

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November 5, 2015

2 Responses

  1. Linda @ Over Forty - November 6, 2015

    What is the point in cheating? It’ll catch up to you one day

  2. Matt B. - November 7, 2015

    LINDA: Money. They don’t care if it catches up with them or if competitive record is erased, they still had the glory.
    So Irina Mikitenko is the Masters record holder. Where does Deena Kastor sit on the all time list? Maybe 5th?

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