Nov. 23, 1999 11:29 AM AP

LONDON (AP) Organizers of next year's London Marathon dismissed reports Tuesday that the race would be the first track event to introduce compulsory blood tests.

The proposal has received the support of the Association of International Marathons, which administers road running and has voted to introduce blood tests unilaterally if the world governing body of the sport doesn't.

But Nick Bitel, chief executive of the London Marathon, said there was no chance of the tests being introduced at the April 16 race.

"The trouble is there is no internationally accepted procedure," he said. "You can take blood but you have no idea what you are testing for. It won't happen at the 2000 race."

"The position is that we would like to see blood testing introduced. We think it would be successful not only to be sure that the event is clean but also because it is seen to be clean."

Some athletes have suggested that blood testing is the only way of combating the illegal use of erythropoietin, which increases endurance by boosting production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells.