The winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon had been disqualified for doping, a friend told her. As the second-place finisher, that meant Deba was moving up to No. 1. When an email from the race’s organizers confirmed the news, Deba and her husband began jumping up and down in their Bronx apartment, hugging and crying. Deba was now a Boston Marathon champion. It was her biggest-ever title, the apex of her career as an elite runner. More than seven years after that day, though, and with the 2024 Boston Marathon going off on Monday, Deba is still waiting for a key part of her victory: the winner’s prize money. She’s due $75,000 for the difference between first and second place. She’s also due a $25,000 bonus for breaking the women’s course record. Her time of 2:19:59 still stands. Officials at the Boston Athletic Association, which operates the marathon, have told Deba and her husband why they haven’t given her the prize money: They’re still trying to reclaim it from Rita Jeptoo, the original winner.
The BAA isn't paying the "true winner" because they need the money back from the "busted" winner in order to pay that true winner? Okay BAA. Right. We almost believe that
The BAA isn't paying the "true winner" because they need the money back from the "busted" winner in order to pay that true winner? Okay BAA. Right. We almost believe that
They did it in 2022 when Kipyokei was disqualified for doping. Apparently they were able to claw the money back and adjust everyone else’s winnings. Do you believe that?
The winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon had been disqualified for doping, a friend told her. As the second-place finisher, that meant Deba was moving up to No. 1. When an email from the race’s organizers confirmed the news, Deba and her husband began jumping up and down in their Bronx apartment, hugging and crying. Deba was now a Boston Marathon champion. It was her biggest-ever title, the apex of her career as an elite runner. More than seven years after that day, though, and with the 2024 Boston Marathon going off on Monday, Deba is still waiting for a key part of her victory: the winner’s prize money. She’s due $75,000 for the difference between first and second place. She’s also due a $25,000 bonus for breaking the women’s course record. Her time of 2:19:59 still stands. Officials at the Boston Athletic Association, which operates the marathon, have told Deba and her husband why they haven’t given her the prize money: They’re still trying to reclaim it from Rita Jeptoo, the original winner.
So if they never get the money back from Jeptoo, they will never pay Deba?
That’s ridiculous. That’s a B.A.A. problem, not Deba’s problem. If they communicated to her that she is the winner and course record holder, they need to pay her - including interest.
I guarantee they have insurance on situations like this. If not the BAA board is a bunch of idiots.
this happened to my wife too. so basically the doper is the thief and needs to return the money for the roll down athlete to get it. It hard when they come from another country where legal powers end
As an AR with both World Athletics and Athletics Kenya, it wasn't until 2 years that AR inacted a 'clawback' provision which is now customary in contracts for all 6 WMM and most WA Platinum or Global Label races. For 12 months subsequent to a confirmed doping violation the race can go after the athlete's AR for the prize money. We are required to carry a minimum of $2 million insurance, although to my knowledge this has not yet been tested with a claim against one's insurance.
So the 2014 issue in question, BAA will never see that money.
The winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon had been disqualified for doping, a friend told her. As the second-place finisher, that meant Deba was moving up to No. 1. When an email from the race’s organizers confirmed the news, Deba and her husband began jumping up and down in their Bronx apartment, hugging and crying. Deba was now a Boston Marathon champion. It was her biggest-ever title, the apex of her career as an elite runner. More than seven years after that day, though, and with the 2024 Boston Marathon going off on Monday, Deba is still waiting for a key part of her victory: the winner’s prize money. She’s due $75,000 for the difference between first and second place. She’s also due a $25,000 bonus for breaking the women’s course record. Her time of 2:19:59 still stands. Officials at the Boston Athletic Association, which operates the marathon, have told Deba and her husband why they haven’t given her the prize money: They’re still trying to reclaim it from Rita Jeptoo, the original winner.
So if they never get the money back from Jeptoo, they will never pay Deba?
That’s ridiculous. That’s a B.A.A. problem, not Deba’s problem. If they communicated to her that she is the winner and course record holder, they need to pay her - including interest.
I guarantee they have insurance on situations like this. If not the BAA board is a bunch of idiots.
The BAA has several million dollars. Seventy five grand is not a big deal to them. I don't know what the legal thing to do is but I have a firm opinion of what the right thing to do is.
The BAA has several million dollars. Seventy five grand is not a big deal to them. I don't know what the legal thing to do is but I have a firm opinion of what the right thing to do is.
The prize money is always payed by the sponsors. Don’t think John Hancock is interested in paying a second time at this point, so the BAA would have to front money that they never budgeted for. And it wouldn’t be just $75,000 for Deba. They’d have to up everyone’s prize money for that year. This would also set a precedent where they’d have to front replacement prize money anytime someone’s caught doping. Given the amount of doping in marathoning, that could be a huge and unpredictable liability.
Insurance isn’t some free money source. You have to pay premiums based on the risk plus a healthy profit for the insurer. Where’s that money come from? Probably by cutting the prize money substantially.
It was pretty disingenuous for a finance newspaper to list the BAA’s year end assets as if they were some huge, liquid slush fund. That’s not what assets are. They represent things like their headquarters, miles of cones and barriers in their warehouse, entry fees collected in the fall that must be disbursed in the spring, and a rainy day fund in case the race has to be canceled.
Probably all you've written is true. I've long held a bit of a grudge with the BAA for how little prize money they have in their race given what they take in. I feel like with all the cheaping out they've done over the years it wouldn't bankrupt them to make up the difference in a situation like this. I don't expect it to happen.
The BAA has several million dollars. Seventy five grand is not a big deal to them. I don't know what the legal thing to do is but I have a firm opinion of what the right thing to do is.
The prize money is always payed by the sponsors. Don’t think John Hancock is interested in paying a second time at this point, so the BAA would have to front money that they never budgeted for. And it wouldn’t be just $75,000 for Deba. They’d have to up everyone’s prize money for that year. This would also set a precedent where they’d have to front replacement prize money anytime someone’s caught doping. Given the amount of doping in marathoning, that could be a huge and unpredictable liability.
Insurance isn’t some free money source. You have to pay premiums based on the risk plus a healthy profit for the insurer. Where’s that money come from? Probably by cutting the prize money substantially.
It was pretty disingenuous for a finance newspaper to list the BAA’s year end assets as if they were some huge, liquid slush fund. That’s not what assets are. They represent things like their headquarters, miles of cones and barriers in their warehouse, entry fees collected in the fall that must be disbursed in the spring, and a rainy day fund in case the race has to be canceled.
This post is half right and half wrong. John Hancock used to pay the prize money, but that is no longer the model. The BAA doesn't own a lot of their own infrastructure--that's DMSE and equipment rental companies.
But also, you're right about reasonable concerns about precedent/other athletes then asking for their prize money to be bumped up, that insurance costs money that would have to come from somewhere, and that the BAAs cash reserve isn't just a slush fund.
Overall, though, I agree with the sentiment. Even if the BAA has the money (which, let's be honest, it does), that doesn't mean that they owe it to the new champion either ethically or legally. I'm surprised that so many people seem to think they do. Jeptoo is the bad actor here, not the BAA.