New York Road Runners already spends $100,000 a year testing its professional runners. That money covers the cost of setting up secure areas to obtain samples and shipping them to laboratories to be analyzed, a process that takes about six weeks. The organization’s officials also monitor race results to see if any runners run noticeably faster over a short time.

The group will spend another $100,000 or so in the first year to expand its testing program. As it does with its professional runners, the organization will pay the United States Anti-Doping Agency to randomly select a small group of top local runners to be tested at races. Road Runners awards about $130,000 a year in prize money to members and club runners in its local races. Any runners in that category who test positive will forfeit their prize money.

When they register for races, runners must sign waivers in which they agree to be tested, if chosen. Runners can appeal a positive test result. They can also apply for a therapeutic-use exemption if they take medicine that may contain banned ingredients.

Ciaccia said the decision to expand testing had not been driven by a specific instance of a runner’s being caught taking a banned substance. Instead, he said, his organization wants to alert runners of all ages to the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.

“It’s not just about the brand integrity, but also the educational component so young kids understand what they might get themselves into,” he said.