Former world champion casts doubt on Ruth Chepngetich's marathon performance and insists anti-doping "has let us down so much"

Former 10,000m world champion Liz McColgan says she does not believe the women’s world marathon record set by Ruth Chepngetich in Chicago is “honest”.

The Kenyan stunned the watching world with her time of 2:09:56 which took almost two minutes off Tigist Assefa’s previous best mark of 2:11:53. The reaction to the performance has been mixed, with as much scepticism as celebration emerging due to just how quick the run was.

A number of reasons have been cited for the huge leap forward – from ever evolving shoe technology through to improved nutrition – but the spectre of doping has been raised, too.

There is no evidence that Chepngetich, who has never failed a drugs test, has cheated and a number of Kenyan politicians recently went so far as to demand legal action be taken against the reporter who dared to asked her about it in the immediate aftermath of the race.

But the suspicion stems from the fact that there are currently 106 Kenyan athletes on the Athletics Integrity Unit banned list, while there have also been significant cuts made to the government-funded Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya. It’s the unequal nature of testing from nation to nation that McColgan believes is causing such harm to the sport.

Speaking as guest of honour at Scottish Athletics’ 4J Awards Dinner, when asked about Chepngetich’s record the former London, New York and Tokyo marathon winner said: “I've actually lost all interest in watching the marathon now, because I feel that anti-doping has let us down so much.

“Ten years ago, we said we have to have the separate entity that all the different countries pay into. Ethiopia can't afford it. Kenya can't afford it. We [Great Britain] are going on testing, and they're still letting Kenya and Ethiopia be non-tested and come out and run stupid times like they do.

“I was very against shoe technology when it first came out, because I was like: ‘If I’d had those new shoes, I'd have run, x, y, z.' But it's an even playing field now. All the companies have got it, so you accept that and we move on. But drug cheats? No.

“UK athletes are tested more than anybody else in the world and we fund that. And I'm like: ‘Why aren't people sitting up and speaking out about this?’ Because don't tell me that everybody's sitting thinking that 2:09 is an honest record. Don't tell me that, because it's not. That is just ridiculous.”

McColgan is coach to her daughter Eilish and added: “I was having a conversation with Eilish about it: ‘What motivates you to do the marathon?’ What motivates Eilish is to beat Paula Radcliffe’s record [2:15:25 from 2003], because that's the clean record.

“That's great, but it's never going to be anywhere near 2:09. And you know, you're not going to win an Olympic medal. Until people start waking up and smelling the roses and start doing something about it, it's just going to be insane.”

Meanwhile, McColgan underlined the importance of the Commonwealth Games after it was made official that the event will return to Glasgow in 2026, albeit in a stripped back format after the 2014 hosts stepped in following the withdrawal of the State of Victoria.

The Olympic 10,000m silver medallist rose to fame by winning the 10,000m in Edinburgh in 1986, before successfully defending her title in 1990, while Eilish emulated her mother by also striking gold in the event in Birmingham two years ago.

READ MORE: Chepnegetich's run tests the belief of fans

Questions have been raised about the Games’ future but, though frustrated the marathon will not feature in the 2026 programme, McColgan said: “It inspires and motivates the next generation. If you don't have it, you're never going to have that inspiration, accessibility and all of that, so it's really important that you do it.

“We're in a world where we are all fighting to get financial support, but sport is important. It's important for wellbeing, it's important for education, it's important for a lot of different things and it should be supported and encouraged. so I'm pleased that Glasgow stepped in. I'm not pleased that there isn't a marathon. That's another story. But I think it's great, and it's a springboard.”

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