Let me get this strait, you people actually BELIEVE Yuki Kawauchi is clean? Please.

Wow, totally embarrassing typo in the title. That should say straight, obviously.

First, who thinks Paula Radcliffe is clean?? Certainly not the vast majority on this board.

On that note, if Kawauchi were a Kenyan runner, very few people would probably call him dirty, because nobody would even know him. There are legions of Kenyans that can beat a 2:08 PB. Besides racing a lot, Kawauchi hasn't really done anything spectacular that would actually mark him for being unclean. He's never won a major marathon, he is routinely beaten at major venues by other Japanese runners, his times aren't extraordinary, etc.

Overall, he's just a decent marathoner who races a lot.

epo doesn't work for top japanese runners

Why would he dope? Why would he pay lots of money, sacrifice his long term health, and take a huge risk (I'm not positive but I would think EPO is illegal in Japan without a prescription) just so he can do better at what is essentially a hobby for him? Running's not his livelihood. He doesn't have the same incentives to dope as most pro runners.

Only one Japanese runner has run a faster marathon in 2013 than Kawauchi and only by 14 seconds. Kawauchi's 2:08:14 and 2:08:15 rank second and third in 2013 for all non-African performers, not just Japanese.

I'm cynical about everybody but it is a lot harder to dope and get away with it without the assistance of a coach or agent, which he doesn't have.

HGH/steroids would seem more likely than EPO if he were doping.

Yes, I believe Yuki Kawauchi is straight.

bigtool05 wrote:

Why would he dope? Why would he pay lots of money, sacrifice his long term health, and take a huge risk (I'm not positive but I would think EPO is illegal in Japan without a prescription) just so he can do better at what is essentially a hobby for him? Running's not his livelihood. He doesn't have the same incentives to dope as most pro runners.

Why do age group triathletes dope to make Kona? Why do Cat 3 cyclists dope to win their local criterium? You can't apply logic to this situation because most of the amateur athletes who dope are narcissists, and are not doing it for monetary reward.

Dick Beardsley

2:16:00 Olympic Trials Summer '80

2:15:00 Nike/OTC Marathon Sept.'80

2:13:00 New York Marathon Nov. '80

2:12:48 Houston Marathon Jan. '81

2:12:41 Beppu Marathon Feb. '81

2:11:48 London Marathon Apr. '81

2:09:37 Grandma's Marathon June '81

2:12:00 Houston Marathon Jan. '82

2:08:54 Boston Marathon Apr. '82

Bill Rodgers 1976

May 22 - 26.2 miles - 2:11:58 - 2nd place - Olympic Trials Marathon

July 31 - Olympic Marathon (Montreal) - 2:24 - 40th place

Oct. 24 - 26.2 miles - 2:10:09.6 - 1st place NYC Marathon - New York Times Coverage

Nov. 7 - 26.1 [?] miles - 2:08:23 - Sado Island Marathon in Japan ("Ran 2:08:23 for supposed marathon course minus 145 (?) ( 160 yds.) ? flat, pleasant course. Ran about 6 mi. in P.M. at easy pace over hilly course for a total of 32 miles.")

Dec. 5 - 26.2 miles - 2:14:23 - 1st - Baltimore Marathon - Tom Fleming took 2nd

...and 1977

February 13 - Kyoto Marathon - 1st in 2:14:26

April 18 - Boston DNF

May 21 - Amsterdam Marathon - 1st place - 2:12:46.6 (Course Record)

October 23 - 2:11:20 - 1st place NYC Marathon

December 4 - 26.2 miles - 2:10:55.3 - 1st - Fukuoka Intl. Marathon

LOTS of races in between, that's just the marathons.

Fortunately today Runner's World has figured out that you can only race one hard marathon per year. Must not have been translated to Japanese yet.

Kawauchi runs an awful lot of marathons so he definitely isn't avoiding races to stay clear of getting tested.

Seyta wrote:

First, who thinks Paula Radcliffe is clean?? Certainly not the vast majority on this board.

I would disagree.

I don't believe that Yuki or Paula dope.

I also love how you say '...The guy's dirty, plain and simple. How often has he been tested anyway? I'd love the know the answer..."

So you don't know, yet you're sure he is doping.

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

How often has he been tested anyway? I'd love to know the answer.

Out of competition

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

Although we know testing isn't enough because most if not all of the top runners are dirty.

Then why spend all this money on testing if you already know the answer?

Jeff Wigand wrote:

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

How often has he been tested anyway? I'd love to know the answer.

Out of competition

http://www.iaaf.org/download/download?filename=ed42193b-f513-4c45-aefd-0de2659b1a6d.pdf&urlslug=The%20IAAF%20Doping%20Control%20Programme%2C%202012%20-%20List%20of%20Tested%20Athletes%20

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

Although we know testing isn't enough because most if not all of the top runners are dirty.

Then why spend all this money on testing if you already know the answer?

That's out of competition test. He's constantly in competition. So it probably depends on how many races he runs have drug tests.

imaginary wrote:

That's out of competition test. He's constantly in competition. So it probably depends on how many races he runs have drug tests.

Huh? What?

He isn't black. Ergo, he is clean.

Drug question aside, wouldn't a world class marathoner look at all these sub 2:10s and think -- this guy could be a 2:05 guy if he picked his races?

A 2:05 would be truly incredible, given his 5k is 13:58 and his half PR is 1:02 mid. Despite all the naysaying, it seems his training is much more efficient than American marathoners' and results in fewer injuries.

K5 wrote:

He isn't black. Ergo, he is clean.

NOPe, no one on here has EVER accused a white person or an East Asian of doping.