The Liberia Marathon Trust (LMT) has rejected allegations by the Liberia Athletics Federation (LAF) that it breached a memorandum of understanding (MOU), insisting the only agreement between the two organizations expired more than a decade ago.
The response comes after the LAF announced it had terminated its 14-year partnership with the Trust and withdrawn its sanction for future Liberia Marathon road races, accusing LMT of failing to fulfill its obligation to support athlete development.
In a termination letter dated July 13 and addressed to LMT board member Juliane Weymann, the federation alleged that the Trust violated a 2011 MOU by failing to finance annual four-month residential training camps for middle- and long-distance runners.
According to the federation, the agreement required LMT to fund training for 13 participants each year -- five male athletes, five female athletes and three technical officials -- to prepare Liberian athletes for World Athletics-sanctioned road races and cross-country competitions.
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However, LMT disputed the federation's account, stating that the only MOU it signed with the LAF was a tripartite agreement involving the Ministry of Youth and Sports on July 20, 2013. The Trust said the agreement was valid for one year and expired in 2014, with no replacement agreement signed.
"There is no MOU in effect for LAF to terminate or claim has been breached," the Trust said in its response.
Despite the agreement's expiration, LMT said it has continued working with the federation to organize the annual Liberia Marathon while maintaining its commitment to the development of athletics in Liberia.
The Trust outlined what it described as significant contributions to the sport since launching the Liberia Marathon in 2011. Those efforts include organizing an internationally certified road race, maintaining World Athletics-certified marathon, half-marathon and 10-kilometer courses, and purchasing an electronic chip-timing system that it said has also been made available to the federation free of charge.
LMT also said it has provided financial support to the federation, paid LAF officials for technical services during marathon events, organized training sessions for elite and emerging athletes at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, and supplied athletes and coaches with equipment, including running shoes and stopwatches.
The Trust further said it has assisted Liberian athletes competing internationally, supported filmmakers and photographers documenting athletics, promoted gender inclusion and awarded more than $75,000 in prize money since the marathon's inaugural edition in 2011.
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Addressing the federation's claim that it had never disclosed the amount of money raised through the Liberia Marathon, LMT said it is a private Liberian nongovernmental organization with no legal or contractual obligation to report its finances to the federation. It added that the 2013 MOU contained no provision requiring financial disclosure.
The dispute marks a significant breakdown in relations between the organizations that have collaborated on Liberia's premier road race for more than a decade and raises uncertainty over the future sanctioning of the Liberia Marathon.
