DOPING is a serious issue in sport and Thailand has not been unaffected by this ugly side of competition. The Nuttapong Ketin doping case at the SEA Games earlier this year was seen as a great setback to Thai sport, which is feared could only be the tip of the iceberg.
The performance of Thai marathon runners in the age category 50-59 years old is amazing, to say the least. In the recent Rayong Marathon held only a week or so ago, the winner of the 55-59 year old category would have also with his time of 3 hours and 16 minutes won the 18-29, 30-34, 40-44, and 50-54 years old age categories.
This year’s winners in the 50-59 years old categories in the Bangkok, Pattaya, or Khon Kean marathons would have run fast enough to win the same age grouping at the Adelaide and Brisbane marathons, and place 2nd in the Canberra, Gold Coast and Melbourne Marathons, which are held in mild temperate conditions.
The winner of this year’s 55-59 year age grouping at Khon Kean would have, on time, won the same category at the Gold Coast Marathon, in Australia.
The depth of Thai age category runners would have also been strong enough to win the minor places as well.
Many running experts would agree that running in the hot conditions of Thailand would slow runners’ times down 5-10 seconds per kilometre over the marathon distance.
A Thai runner in the 55-59 years age category would have finished 8th in the same category at this year’s London marathon, placed in the first 10 places at Boston, and run 16th in New York.
Given the weather factor in both the Bangkok and Pattaya Marathons, and the fact that Australia has produced a number of Olympic and World championship runners, the performance of Thai aged category runners is outstanding.
“There is a grey area between necessity and intention to cheat in the higher age categories.”
The secret to this success doesn’t appear to be the training. The writer has discussed, observed and even participated in training with many age category runners and found training regimes to be very similar to what any athlete would do in any part of the world.
There are quite a few hundred serious aged category runners in Thailand, in addition to the thousands of serious recreational runners.
What appears to be different is the supplements that an unknown few are taking. Of course, no one would admit to personally taking performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), but many runners had their suspects.
According to rumour in running circles which can’t be substantiated, a number of age category athletes are taking PEDs to aid their performances. This correlates with the revelations of age category amateur cyclists and triathletes taking PEDs in other parts of the world, a recent phenomenon as age category sport is now growing exponentially around the world. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief David Howman, more than one in 10 people in sport are using PEDs.
Using PEDs or doping refers to the use of taking substances that are banned by sporting governmental bodies like the IAAF, that can enhance performance during competition, through building muscle bulk, enhancing the blood’s oxygen carrying capacity, or building higher pain thresholds. This is considered both unethical and illegal in many sporting jurisdictions, including the Sport Doping Control Act 2012 in Thailand, where Section 33 specifies a life ban in sporting competition for PED use.
However, the issue is not as straightforward as it would be with younger and elite athletes. Many PEDs are also medicines that may aid in treating certain conditions that are common among aged runners, such as testosterone, thyroid medicines, and asthma treatments. Therefore there is a grey area between necessity and intention to cheat in the higher age categories.
The anabolic steroid testosterone is a hormone naturally produced within humans and other mammals. Testosterone promotes increased muscle and bone mass, and thus helps to improve strength based performance. Along with a number of synthetic derivatives such as nandrolone, norbolethone, gestrinone, and tresbolone, these substances are usually utilized to treat osteoporosis. They are also used to improve libido, and make a person look and feel better. They can be administered through injection, gels, or patches.
However anabolic steroids have a number of potential dangerous side effects to health, such as muscle dysmorphia, cardiovascular problems, enlarged prostates, and an increase in the risk of cancer.
“We know the problem exists, but currently there is little that can be done about it.”
Erythropoietin or EPO, of Lance Armstrong fame, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls red blood cell production. Red blood cells are very important in carrying oxygen around the body to muscles and thus can greatly enhance athletic endurance, as much as 15 percent.
However EPO thickens the blood, which drastically increases the risks of blood clotting, strokes, and venous thrombosis.
Many PEDs like the anabolic steroid oxymetholoneonly (Anadrol) are manufactured in Thailand and are available freely over the counter in pharmacies at very reasonable prices. Many ‘friendly’ pharmacies located near Muay Thai gyms have a wide selection of PEDs like Co-Diovan (HGH), pseudoephine, nandrolone, even erythropoietin (EPO).
Age category running in Thailand allows people who, due to financial and economic necessity during their youth, had no time or opportunity to undertake any serious sporting career. They were too busy making a living.
According to discussions with some age category runners, the main motivations to take PEDs were as follows:
To win cash prizes which are relatively lucrative in Thailand for age categories, e.g., BHT30,000 (US$832) for 1st place in each age category in the Bangkok Marathon;
To win trophies, as one runner put it, ‘our days are limited at our age’, or;
Just to keep up with the other runners, as another runner put it, ‘if others are doing it, why not me?’
To date, the focus on doping by anti-doping bodies like the South East Asia Regional Doping Organization (SEARADO) has been towards both the young and elite athletes. Their strategy is twofold. One is to upgrade and enhance laws and regulations, and two is to disseminate better information about the ethics and medical dangers of doping, i.e., change the attitude of those tempted to dope.
However according to Mr. Thassana Trairat of the Sports Authority of Thailand, outreach programs are not targeted at age category runners. Age category runners are not on the anti-doping radar.
A board member of the Sports Council who wished to remain anonymous framed the problem like this: “Most cycling and running events throughout Thailand are events outside the sanction of any regulatory body, and thus outside the domain of anti-doping testing. We know the problem exists, but currently there is little that can be done about it.”
Therefore any age category doping is completely unchecked, though there are suspicions that it is going on. Doping, thought to be a problem of the young and elite athletes, is more widespread through the senior age categories, as was found through World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) testing on age category athletes around the world. Those that dope are maybe making decisions to do so without full knowledge of the ethical and medical dangers involved.
There is little hard-core evidence that doping is going on in age category running, as there is no dope testing going on at present. Thai Marathons are not IAAF accredited, which would bring in mandatory testing. Thus the phenomenal times age category runners are achieving under harsh and humid conditions will always lead to suspicions.
The temptation to take PEDs to win is too much for some in an environment where these substances are extremely easy to acquire and very affordable.
Thailand is not exempted from this urge.
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