Mo Trafeh, 2-time FL finallist, 8-time US champ, US 25k record holder, has been caught with EPO, will retire from sport

Correct, some people are bitter with the brojos, but this is the PREMIER site for running.

If Bekele breaks the WR in the marathon, ask yourself honestly where is the first site you will go? It ain't Runners World.

I have not read any of this thread and probably won't, but the word on the street was that he was using years ago. I can't recall which year it was specifically, but I started hearing a lot of rumors from a variety of sources about him. I am not surprised in the least that he was caught with EPO. Given what I know I find it extremely unlikely this was the first time he purchased or planned to use a PED. I won't comment on his character outside of running other than I have heard various negative things about that side of him also.

Goodbye and good riddance.

Right, I'm critical of the same things, but I'm also a realist about supply and demand, and am thankful I have a place to get information that matters to me.

By the same token, it's at once comforting and frustrating that the Johnsons, whose passion about the sport is clear and wanting in other media, have so much access.

Listen folks, we've been over all this stuff dozens of times about the quality of the LR site, the Brojo's, the content, registration, etc, etc.

It's all been done to death, just ask 'A Duck', it is what it is because the Brojo's have decided it is what it is.

It not real hard these days to start up your own site if you feel strongly enough about it.

Good Luck

Rojo,While I love your website and 9 times out of 10 am on your side, many of those are not questions. Even what you have below. Many are simply yes or no questions as you have written your assumed answers in there. "1. Just to be clear, you are asserting that you never used EPO or any illegal drug during your running career. You simply got caught the first time your purchased it and were about to take it. That’s your claim, right?2. You do realize that your story line is something that most people will find hard to believe, right?"Those are not really questions. To start with those, EPO cheat jerk or nice EPO cheat, does not seem rational to me, or to be asking QUESTIONS. It's like the famous "Have you stopped beating your wife?" question. But even less likely to draw out meaningful details. Sadly, it's a rare case when the lawyer's response seems more well thought out than your questions. And remember, I admire you and your overall body of work for the running world.

rojo wrote:

disapponted wrote:

So LaCour thinks "Your questions were understandably insulting to Mohamed", I wonder if LaCour and Mohamed think followers and those involved in running/T&F feel insulted.

Great post.

The whole time I just kept saying to myself, "This makes no sense. They are coming to us - not the other way around. They obviously are looking for sympathy but then putting out a statement that isn't going to generate any."[/quote]

Yes, but the next two sentences after the "insulting to Mohamed" bit are what I more or less agree with:

"To be frank, an objective person reading your questions would think that you had some sort of personal resentment against him. Not as if this is a story and you were doing your job, but that you subjectively have ill-will towards him."

Rojo is not a real journalist. He runs a popular running website. Period.

I do applaud his anti-drug stance, and I think that that is good for the sport. But did he really think that Mo was going to answer his questions, especially when they were asked with such obvious sarcasm or disbelief? I'm not saying that he should have lobbed Mo softballs . . . and I'm not against asking hard questions, but if he really wanted to engage his subject and bring out a full discussion of doping, there was an obvious, more nuanced way to do it, and he actually would have gotten responses.

+

It's like, someone someone ate an extra cream puff. Wow, that is terrible, but so what.

turd alert wrote:

"I was stopped before I was able to use EPO, I never previously used EPO and if I had the financial resources to fight this case, I am confident that I would prevail."

Yeah, ok. What a turd.

J.R. wrote:

If you don't believe him, then why ask any questions?

The questions were pointless.

turd alert wrote:

Because if he would just come clean, and own his mistakes, I'd have more respect for the guy. But no, I'll only admit to exactly what I've been caught for, and nothing more.

Well then, I'm not really interested, but confess your sins to the world.

Then after you do, I will call you a liar and a turd.

See how that works.

Tony D wrote:

Whether or not they ever measure EPO in Trafeh's blood, he isn't supposed to have EPO on his person--clearly.

Why not? What if someone is giving EPO to their ailing grandparent. They aren't "allowed" to do that?

Major BS.

The drug idiocy is way out of hand, and it's not the accused who are getting away with the murders.

I am not from California but recall the name from my era quite well. The poster below hits the nail right on the head. I remember when I saw the sudden re-emergence and thought to myself "DOPED". I have a good gut instinct.

Webb - DOPED

Teg - DOPED

Solinsky - DOPED

Rupp - most definitely DOPED

Mo Farah - SLAM DOPED

Centro - DOPED

The next time a name from the past suddenly re-emerges -- cough, cough like Bobby Curtis -- we need to use the following phrase:

Look who just DOPED in!

(you know, instead of "Look who just walked in")

After reading this thread I'm pretty annoyed. Everyone here is an armchair quarterback. Doping sucks. But people seem more concerned about the questions that were being asked by the Brojos. Good or bad job. It doesn't matter. To the multiple people that brought up Lance and Oprah. Give me a break, he knew what she was going to ask.

I can telling you doping is still prevalent in cycling. And I'm sure a lot of sub elite and elite distance runners will tell you the same thing. Lots of fast times can be run clean. 100% certain of that. But the issue at hand isn't the questions or how they were asked. If Trafeh wants to come out and rat on people then he will. Regardless of how the questions are phrased.

Too often journalists are star struck and kiss the butts of athletes who probably aren't clean. It makes me sick that I race against guys who have doped but are still loved by many, and will probably make more money than a lot ever will because of it. But at the same time, that's their own cross to bare. It's hard for some because when everyone becomes jaded nothing is accomplished.

I wish I had the answers. Generally there are good and bad. That's human nature, give a person the chance to cheat and someone will take it. I just wish this thread would focus more on having productive arguments about cleaning up sports. Instead of the questions that were being asked.

All of this is nonsense wrote:

Lots of fast times can be run clean. 100% certain of that.

Drugs don't matter, so debating this nonsense is a waste of time.

Just let people do what they want, and the fastest runners will win.

Good for Rojo to ask the hard questions. I like the questions he asked because they are stating the truth about Trafeh. If he has nothing to hide then he should answer them to the best of his ability. BUT HE DID NOT! I'm glad this delinquent finally got caught and hope that they take away his records, titles and as much prize money as possible from him. Good riddance to him.

What a ridiculous defense by Trafeh. "It was the first time that I purchased it". That's pure BS!!! If you were being tested as much as him would you just randomly decide to try to start doping for the first time? No way! He's been micro-dosing for years and staying out of the spotlight until a major race was on the line. And who the heck was he asking for counsle about doping? And how the heck did he know how much and how to take EPO? Was he just going to figure it out online? A LOT of questions need answering by him.

It's long been speculated that he was a user and many in the elite circle thought that he was sketchy. I also think that this implicates those he trained with...

The point of my rant: STOP DEFENDING TRAFEH!

This.

Let's Run is the TMZ for track and field. LR was given a story and they blew it so hard. This site will never be taken seriously. They thrive on gossip, allegations and controversy.

LetsRun.com wrote:

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2014/06/mo-trafeh-american-record-holder-25k-caught-epo/

Give us your thoughts below.

I haven't read the whole thread yet, but did read the front page interview. First off, I don't think Rojo and his questions were insulting to Mo Trafeh as stated by his lawyer. However, the questions Rojo asked were too rushed..meaning maybe he should have waited until he specially was able to talk directly to Mo himself versus via his lawyer and email. Am I reading this right?

Moroccan in EPO shocker

No surprise, been calling him EPMo for a long time.