The Running Channel Podcast 134: Performance vs Integrity: The Doping Debate
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Aug 23, 2025 Sean Ingle, Chief Sports Reporter for The Guardian, dives deep into the doping epidemic plaguing athletics. He unpacks the motivations behind doping, historical controversies, and the complex regulations athletes face. The discussion raises critical questions about integrity in sports and the psychological toll on clean competitors. Ingle also shares insights into emerging trends in doping, like microdosing, and the role of coaches in perpetuating this culture. This thrilling discourse paints a vivid picture of the ongoing battle between performance and ethical standards in running.
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Testing Advances Reduced Blatant Doping
- The athlete biological passport and targeted testing have reduced large-scale, obvious doping in track and field.
- Sean Ingle notes microdosing remains a problem because it’s harder to detect without targeted investigation.
State-Sanctioned Schemes Can Evade Testing
- The Russian state programme demonstrated institutional corruption that hid widespread doping across sports.
- Sean Ingle highlights the McLaren report exposed systemic sample tampering and cover-ups.
Whistleblower Exposed Laboratory Tampering
- Sean recalled Russian doctor Grigory Rodchenkov’s cocktail methods and lab tampering to avoid detection.
- He described how clean urine samples were secretly swapped to hide positives at Sochi.