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Organizers of Grandma's Marathon announced today that 2006 women's champion, Halina Karnatsevich of Belarus, has been disqualified for failing her post-race doping test. The race was held in Duluth, Minn., on June 17.
Svetlana Nekhorosh of Ukraine has now been declared the winner and will receive the $8000 winner's check. All other women's finishers will be moved up one place as a result of Karnatsevich's disqualification. Maria Portilla of Peru is now the second place finisher (2:38:20/$6500), while Mary Akor of Gardena, Calif., has been declared the third place finisher (2:39:42/$5000).
The executive director of the event, Scott Keenan, said in a prepared statement: "It has always been the policy of Grandma's Marathon to work closely with the governing bodies of our sport. Drug testing has been conducted at our race in 1987, 1990, 1994 and 2006, and we will continue to encourage USA Track and Field to include Grandma's Marathon in its schedule for drug testing in the future."
Karnatsevich, who turned 37 on Nov. 2, ran 2:33:39 at Grandma's, well ahead of Nekhorosh's 2:37:33. Karnatsevich's time was well off of her personal best of 2:27:14 set at the 2005 IAAF World Championships where she finished 13th.
Karnatsevich has received a two-year competition ban.
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