Last updated: 03-Apr-17
The world of trail and ultra running grew out of passionate enthusiasts organising and participating in races around the world. The community was small and made up of amateurs. But all that is changing rapidly. The positive is that the sport is gaining recognition and attracting more participants, but the negative is allegations of the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) by some athletes.
Salomon, one of the sport’s biggest players, has announced an initiative to combat this. It is setting up an Athlete Transparency Program and the sponsorship of five major trail races under the clean sport initiative.
Kilian Jornet, who is a Salomon-sponsored athlete said, “I trust that trail running is a clean sport and I can’t understand cheating in a sport that is more about a connection with nature. But since it is also a performance-driven sport with competition, it is important to be clear that we are clean.”
Under the Transparency Program, 16 top Salomon athletes, including Kilian, will be randomly tested up to 10 times per year by the Quartz program affiliated with Athletes for Transparency. Quartz is totally independent. Other testing by agencies like the WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) will be included in the review by Quartz. Athlete contracts will clearly state the requirements and the consequences of any violation.
In addition, TUE’s (Therapeutic Use Exceptions), which are “legitimate” prescriptions that can provide performance benefits, will not be allowed for Salomon athletes without specific approval by an independent physician affiliated with Quartz. Athletes will have to report their locations at all times, and declare all supplements, prescriptions, and medications that they are using.
“As a leader in the sport of trail running, we feel it’s important to be at the forefront of efforts in the area of clean sport,” said Greg Vollet, Salomon’s Global Trail Running Sports and Community Marketing Manager. “We are initiating this program to create a tool for athletes to prove their integrity; to show that they are clean and to continue to uphold the honor and values of the sport we all love.”
Keep our sport clean!
