Statement from World Record Holder in the Marathon Denying Doping

by: Patrick Makau
October 27, 2012

Editor’s note: We received the following statement from Patrick Makau via his management team denying drug usage. In May of this year, a German television station aired a report on drug usage in Kenya. As part of the report, they reported buying EPO in Kenya and at the place they bought EPO, the owner of the store said  world record holder in the marathon Patrick Makau bought nutritional products but not EPO from him. This week Athletics Illustrated did an interview with Hajo Seppelt, the German journalist behind the TV report. It brought Makau’s name and EPO to the attention of the press as Makau is going after his own world-record in Frankfurt on Sunday.

A story has surfaced in the international media, from a minority interest website in recent days, alleging my link to an establishment in Kenya, allegedly providing EPO. The original source is an allegation aired on German television some months ago.

I personally have no knowledge if the story has any validity, but I know that nothing in it has anything to do with me.

The story falsely associates me with a particular retail store (located in the Hilton Hotel, Nairobi) and claims that I am a direct customer. This is not correct. I have never been on the premises. The only thing in that shop that suggests that I have anything to do with the store is an old national newspaper clipping with my photo, taped to the wall, together with many other clippings of other athletes’ races.

Absolutely false is the claim that I “patronized” a clinic in Kapsabet. I have never even been in this town.

For the sake of clarity, the shop located in the Hilton Hotel is, to the best of my knowledge, the only shop in Kenya which imported USN brand nutritional supplements (USN is a South African company with offices in Europe, including Germany and UK.). There have probably been hundreds of athletes that have bought USN products there. The USN product that I have used in the past is Recovery Max (a powered isotonic drink mix).  From time-to-time I have asked someone going into Nairobi to buy a Recovery Max for me. Of course, before using USN product for the first time, my IAAF AR, Mr. Zane Branson, wrote to USN to confirm their products safety/compliance with WADA List. In addition, an email was also sent to the IAAF medical department asking if they have ever received any warnings and/or complaints about USN products and the answer came back negative, a simple “No”.

I find it surprising that this non-story has surfaced in English just a day before the BMW Frankfurt Marathon and I felt a need to make my case clear, especially as I have vast respect for the organizers, for BMW as a title sponsor, for Adidas, and all joggers, runners, spectators and volunteers and all individuals and institutions that have invested in the BWM Frankfurt Marathon.

I am looking forward to a great event on a proven course and I will be racing with clear conscience.

Patrick Makau a Year Ago in Berlin

Patrick Makau

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