New York, April 14, 2023 – Concluding a thorough review along with governing bodies and industry partners, New York Road Runners (NYRR) today announced a clarification on its anti-doping policies for its invited professional athletes (Invitational Athletes) and non-invitational athletes (General Field Athletes), and its plans to reinstate in-competition testing of top finishers at select local, weekly NYRR races throughout the year. The updated NYRR Run Clean policies can be found here. 

Invited Professional Athlete Field
NYRR is a leader in the global clean sport movement and will continue to uphold policies to ensure fair competition among NYRR’s Invitational Athletes. The continuance of strict policies will be enforced and implemented at the highest level of NYRR races to strengthen the integrity of our sport. To underscore how NYRR ensures fair competition among the invited professional athlete field, the organization has taken on these year-round efforts:

• Testing – Since 2002, in-competition testing has been conducted at more than 125 NYRR events, including the past 21 New York City Marathons. NYRR will continue to partner with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on a robust pre-competition testing program for Invitational Athletes competing in the TCS New York City Marathon. In-competition testing remains at every NYRR professional athlete invitational field.
• Education & Advocacy – Since 2016, NYRR has partnered with USADA to conduct mandatory anti-doping educational seminars for the Invitational Athletes competing in NYRR events.
• Funding – Through the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) elite athlete testing pool, NYRR will continue to fund an unprecedented large-scale out-of-competition testing program of the top professional marathon runners from around the world.

The professional fields of NYRR’s races are invitational events.  NYRR evaluates many different factors in choosing which athletes to invite to compete in those events. NYRR does not invite athletes who have been found by a governing body to have committed a doping offense and who have ever been suspended from competition, to compete in the professional fields of NYRR races. Invitational Athletes must also agree to the anti-doping policies set forth in NYRR’s Run Clean Waiver. Appeals are reviewed by the NYRR Race Director. Violations of anti-doping rules may result in sanctioning of the athlete, including disqualification.

NYRR’s anti-doping policies were initiated in 2002. They were created to deliver a cohesive and robust anti-doping framework and program for all NYRR’s professional athlete invitational fields. In 2016, the NYRR Run Clean initiative was developed to extend testing and education for professional and local competitive athletes at select local, weekly races while strengthening its policies around testing, education, and advocacy.

Upon reviewing NYRR’s past policies, the NYRR’s Run Clean website only reflected the additional anti-doping policies for Invitational Athletes but it did not address the anti-doping policies agreed to by all athletes (Invitational Athletes and General Field Athletes) in NYRR’s Run Clean Waiver.  The Run Clean website now reflects the anti-doping policies that apply to Invitational Athletes and those that apply to General Field Athletes.  

General Field Athletes
All participants of the non-invitational general fields at NYRR events must agree to NYRR’s Run Clean Waiver and remain fully compliant with the applicable anti-doping rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code and the USADA Protocol. Participants may be subject to anti-doping testing at NYRR events and for up to ninety (90) days thereafter as may be needed for follow-up testing for any prohibited substance or method. Athletes who are eligible to participate under the World Athletics and USATF rules, including the USADA Protocol and WADA Code, that govern NYRR races are not prohibited from running in the general non-invitational field of NYRR races. 

NYRR will reinstate random testing of its top finishers at its local races throughout the year. The program was introduced in 2017 but due to the pandemic it was temporarily on hold; the program will resume in 2023. Along with USADA, NYRR will conduct anti-doping educational seminars for the for top locally based NYRR members.

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About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.