Sage Canaday Reports Cam Hanes to USADA After 58-Year-Old’s 2:39 Eugene Marathon

PEDs helps with that injury piece, too.

And to be fair to Sapp, it sounds like she pushed herself up from a humble background into a semi-famous writer and marketer. So kudos to her (no sarcasm), and she appears to be an ultrarunner to a degree (relay team). So no snark against her personally, I just want to know why she is defending Cam's take. While I know most read LRC, and I will probably contradict myself, I shouldn't assume ALL read/know of LRC either.

I don't like that she criticizes Sage for being elitist--I can see her POV, Cornell is a nice school, etc. even if I disagree--but she has an array of high-paying jobs and prestige herself.

Going to an Ivy League U is like being a vegan, or running ultras, or doing cross fit. If you mention it, people troll you for being insufferable. And to be fair, plenty of the people in those categories are insufferable...but then you don't mention and your hiding something?

Even if Sage were some silver spoon elitist (which his response here clarifies is untrue), what does that have to do with Cam cheating? Cam is clearly at this point far far more well off financially than Sage. No one with an even slightly cushier upbringing can ever report someone with a slightly harder upbringing for cheating? Before we report the next cheat, we need to ask for their parents 1980 tax returns?

Her argument boils down to "I'd rather be naive and assume all the fun influencers I follow are just fun! Cam's cheating didn't impact me personally and so I'm mad that Sage has made me consider nuanced and difficult topics." That, seems like silver spoon privileged position if I've ever heard one.

Dear Western States Endurance Run Board of Directors,

I am writing as a longtime member of the trail and ultrarunning community with a question regarding the race's approach to anti-doping policies beyond the elite field.

Recent public discussion has centered on athlete and influencer Cam Hanes, who has acknowledged the use of TRT and BPC-157, substances that are prohibited under USADA guidelines. Beyond that, he has even lauded these substances, and others like them, as necessary and acceptable for non-elite athletes. Given his prominence within the sport and his history of participation in events such as Western States, I am concerned about the potential normalization of performance-enhancing substances among recreational and aspiring ultrarunners.

Western States is one of the most sought-after race entries in the world, with a highly competitive lottery system and a culture that has traditionally emphasized fairness, hard work, and respect for the sport. As such, I am curious whether the Board has considered any policies regarding lottery eligibility for athletes who publicly acknowledge the use of substances prohibited under anti-doping rules, even when they are not competing in the elite field.

More broadly, I would appreciate any insight into what steps the organization is taking to discourage the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout the participant population, not solely among elite competitors. Notably, Aravaipa, who puts on one of your Golden Ticket races, continues to promote Hanes even after his admission of drug use.

Thank you for your time and for your stewardship of an event that means so much to the trail running community. I appreciate any clarification you can provide.

Sincerely,

Biased hit piece. Poorly researched. Clearly Amanda clicks her own mouse to Cam videos.

My favorite part is attacking Sage's upbringing while defending a guy who drives around in a wrapped Bentley with his cobra head falling out of his Keep Hammering Running Shorts onto the plush leather seats while getting financial compensation from sponsors along with revenue from views, coupon codes and clicks.

Sage looks like he drives and EV, or has one of those Cargo e-bikes.

However, that doesn't make him any less wrong on this. Cam cheated, is a doper and he didn't do anything wrong reporting Cam for his years of admitted doping. Getting hung up on timelines is naive.

The event is in a few weeks. I can see them being pretty tied up to get a long, nuanced response to this inquiry about a runner who is not a part of the race field this year.

Why not go full tactical Cam and pepper the comment sections of Mountain Outpost, RunSingletrack, etc while you wait for your answer.

Personally, I'd rather just start a rumor that David Roche coaches Cam and see that watering that seed does for this thread.

Very accurate--and if you dig into her background, she is privileged as well, career-wise, esp. the last 15 years (marketing).

Even though, to be fair, she grew up blue-collar in Oregon, which I will concede.

What does any of this have to do with whether or not the trail influencer douche was taking banned substances?

cool that he's going to remain uninformed on this running controversy.... I guess it doesn't really touch on, uh, running....

Hahaha this is amazing, Dbo says he’s “uninformed”? Yeah ok, this guy is so obsessed with trail running gossip he releases “emergency podcasts” to talk about someone signing a deal with a shoe brand… you know he has a lot to say here… it’s just too funny how hollow all these media folk are.

In the mind of the Cam bro:

Sage: Irrelevant, has-been, desperate for attention, don't listen to him

Whoever this random blogger is: Her opinion is important, isn't desperate for clout, we should definitely listen to what she has to say

Because as a veteran 40-something marketing pro with extensive ultrarunning background and connections, she can shape the narrative around the sport to benefit Cam long-term and get more ultrarunners against Sage.

This is a very passive aggressive reply.

He knows what he is doing.

he's a coward, but not surprised

This isn't about Sage...at all. Let's say Sage was an obnoxious, privileged, ivy league grad who didn't work for anything.

Would that make Cam any less of an attention seeking D-Bag who cheated his way to a world class master's time?

No.

I support Sage on this matter. I'd never heard of this Shane fellow before. I listened to about thirty seconds of his YouTube podcast and immediately tuned out because of the constant profanity. The growing number of ego-driven influencers is disturbing.

Yeah, that this is somehow turning into Sage vs Cam is absurd. Why people are even defending this guy is beyond me. Saw a ton of people on reddit and elsewhere defending and justifying cheating for non-elites.

As a long time trail and ultrarunner who has participated in races all over the US, most of the big ultras around, including Aravaipa, it is depressing what this sport is turning into that so many in this space are buddying up to and fine with a known cheater. For gods sakes Jamil even played a role in Xavier being DQ'd from Hard Rock for taking a sip of his girlfriends water, but a doper showing up to his races is fine?

I already have to assume some randoms I am competing against in races at my age are probably on TRT or something, but for folks to normalize this and stand behind it is mind boggling. Personally will not be supporting any organizations that do not come out and make it clear cheating of any kind for any age, elite or not elite, will not be tolerated.

Happy that Sage did this. So many of these "hybrid-athlete" guys essentially treat our sport as a side show to impress other meat heads on the internet, with little respect for our rules and customs. (Anyone remember that influencer jerk who brought an unauthorized bike pacer on a marathon?, as another example) They think that since doping is accepted and normal in body building, they should just be able to enter any race while on gear as if the rules don't apply for them. After all, this isn't their "main" sport.

Thankfully, running is a serious sport with rules. If they wanna run races, they are more than welcome, but get off the steroids first.