In only its third year, the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50km has become an international event to be reckoned with, setting 4 officially recognized world records and countless national, continental and world age bests to boot. The event further grew in stature with the announcement of all doping control tests from February’s event coming back clear.
In an email from the Athletes Integrity Unit (AIU) to race director Nick Bester, it was confirmed that “All the samples collected at the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50km were analyzed at the WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) accredited laboratory in Bloemfontein and did not reveal the presence or use of prohibited substances.”
Bester was happy with the news. “I am very happy to see that all our athletes in the event run clean and that we have set 50km world records 3 years in a row without any positive drug tests even amongst the top 10,” said Bester.
With the event being an officially recognized World Athletics elite label race, and the first ultra-marathon to ever receive this accolade, 1% of each athlete’s prize money goes towards World Athletics and the AIU’s fight towards doping by giving educational talks as well as testing in and out of competition.
“We work closely with SAIDS, the AIU and World Athletics to ensure that everything that happens is done the right way and that we tick all of the boxes so that when records are broken, they are ratified.”
Earlier in the week the event also saw World Athletics officially announce that it ratified the new 50km women’s only world record which was set this year by Nedbank running clubs Emane Seifu who set a new world record of 3:00:30.
If the first 3 editions of the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50km were anything to go by, the 2024 edition which will take place yet again in the friendly city of Gqeberha in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality will be one that road running enthusiasts will not want to miss.