Former drug cheat wins $8,000 at Dominican Republic marathon

U.S. marathoner Mary Akor (Beasley) is damn good at her job. In 2013, Akor served a two-year ban doping ban after she tested positive for clenbuterol. Fast forward seven years from the end of her ban, and she seems to be making a career out of only entering races that do not drug-test athletes. On Nov. 27, she won the Santiago de América Monumental Marathon in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, in 2:41:55, taking home USD $8,000.

Akor has also used multiple versions of her name; sometimes she is Mary Akor, sometimes Mary Beasley, or (as at this most recent race), a strange combination of the two: at the Santiago de América Monumental Marathon, Akor ran under the name Mary Akprbeasly (see below).

She won the race by a minute and a half over Kimitei Edna Jerono of Kenya, who took second in 2:43:15 to win $4,000. Local Dominican runner Soranyi Rodríguez finished third in 2:44:05, earning $3,000. 

Earlier this fall, Akor won $6,000 at the Detriot Free Press Marathon, where she ran under the name Mary Beasley. After the race director faced heat over Akor’s win on social media, he issued a statement that the marathon intends to implement an anti-doping policy for all prize-money-eligible athletes in 2023.

Two weeks ago, Akor was on the elite list of the 2022 Philadelphia Marathon, but did not finish the race. When we reached out to the race director, Colin Leak, about Akor’s appearance on the elite list, he told us that Akor paid her own way. 

“We are aware of Mary’s past and her entry, but since she paid her entry, she will not be getting elite fluids, access to the elite area or complimentary accommodation,” stated Leak. “But our race has no policy that prevents athletes with previous doping suspensions from winning prize money.” 

This year Akor also collected prize money at the 2022 Orange County Half-Marathon and the Mexicali Half-Marathon, finishing second in both races.

Akor, 46, was born in Nigeria but has been a U.S. citizen since 2004, representing Team USA at the world championships in the marathon in 2005 and 2007. She also won the Vancouver Marathon in 2004, 2008 and 2009 and finished second in 2012.

Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator used to open the airway for easier breathing; it also increases fat oxidation. Akor tested positive at the 2013 Gobernador Marathon in Mexico, and accepted a two-year ban from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). (2010 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and former world middleweight champion boxer Canelo Alvarez received bans for the same drug.)

Akor explained her positive test in a Detroit Free Press article last month: “I was in Mexico and I have asthma, so I don’t know if it was the medication, they gave me or it was beef I ate,” said Akor. “I don’t eat beef anymore because of this issue. And because I didn’t get a lawyer, I was suspended.”

In 2019, Akor was disqualified at the Austin Marathon after trying to prevent a runner from passing her. U.S. ultramarathoner and world record holder Camille Herron tweeted on Nov. 26 that Akor also repeatedly spat on her and ran into her during the 2011 Great Cow Harbor 10K in Northport, N.Y. Herron finished sixth in 34:40 and Akor finished 14 seconds behind her for seventh. 

We were unable to reach the Santiago de América Monumental Marathon organizers for a comment by the time of publication.