Just when you think that you have seen it all, a three-hour marathon runner gets a provisional suspension for doping.
Brazilian Lais Mascarenhas Gomes Araujo tested positive for drostanolone of all things.
Yes, you read that correctly.
On September 22, 2024, she ran 3:06:21 in the 35-39 age group during the Buenos Aires Marathon. The only other marathon result found was a near-four-hour effort in Rio.
Regardless, a doping control officer had to supervise her sample collection and send it off to an accredited lab for testing. Hence, the Athletics Integrity Unit notified the athlete and published the results of the test.
Drostanolone is an anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Medical use is related to breast cancer treatment. It can be sold under brand names like Masteron and Drolbanw, which have been historically used to treat advanced breast cancer in women. It is rarely used in modern clinical medicine because safer and more effective therapies are available.
Risks and side effects include androgenic effects that may cause acne, oily skin, accelerated male-pattern baldness, and body hair growth. In women, it can lead to deepening of the voice, enlargement of the clitoris, and disruptions of the menstrual cycle. It’s bad for the liver and kidneys and may cause cancer.
That’s a lot for a 3:06:21 marathon.
