Published: July 22, 2026
MONROVIA — The Liberia Athletics Federation (LAF) has terminated its 14-year partnership with the Liberia Marathon Trust (LMT), accusing the organization of breaching a 2011 memorandum of understanding by failing to support athlete development and withdrawing its sanction for future LMT road races.
In a termination letter dated July 13 and addressed to LMT board member Juliane Weymann, the federation alleged that the Trust failed to fulfill its contractual obligation to finance annual training camps for Liberian middle- and long-distance runners.
According to the LAF, the original agreement, brokered by LMT founder Peter Herrington, called for the funding of a four-month residential training camp each year for 13 Liberians — five male athletes, five female athletes and three technical officials. The program was intended to identify and develop athletes capable of competing in World Athletics-sanctioned road races and cross-country championships.
“The LAF’s sole interest in the partnership was the identification, training and annual encampment of a pool of Liberian middle- and long-distance runners,” the federation said in the letter.
The federation alleged that the Marathon Trust later distanced itself from the agreement by asserting that it was a legally registered entity and therefore not accountable to the LAF. It said the Ministry of Youth and Sports attempted to mediate the dispute in 2012 and again before the 2025 marathon, but those efforts failed to resolve the matter.
The LAF also claimed it has never been informed of the total amount of money raised through the Liberia Marathon since the event was launched in 2011.
“Since the inaugural race in 2011, including the most recent race in 2025, the LAF has had no knowledge of the total funds raised by the LMT,” the federation said. “More importantly, the LMT has not supported or trained any middle- or long-distance athlete in Liberia during this entire period.”
The federation said its role in the 2025 Liberia Marathon was limited to issuing a one-time event license and race sanction after intervention by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
“Following further appeals by the minister, the LAF reluctantly agreed solely to license and certify the LMT’s 2025 race, nothing more and nothing less, having lost all trust in the LMT regarding any form of partnership,” the letter stated.
In addition to ending the partnership, the federation issued a cease-and-desist directive ordering the Liberia Marathon Trust to stop using the LAF’s name, logo and likeness, citing intellectual property rights and the need to prevent public misrepresentation.
The LAF described the Trust’s actions as a breach of good faith and fair dealing and said it no longer considers the organization a reliable partner for any future memorandum of understanding.
“The LAF finds this posture disingenuous and hypocritical, particularly given the well-known challenges facing athletics development in Liberia,” the federation concluded.
When contacted , the Liberia Marathon Trust promised to officially respond to the allegations and the notice of termination.
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