Athletics: positive for EPO, Kenyan marathon runner Jepchirchir temporarily suspended
Olympic and world champion provisionally suspended by Athletics Integrity Unit for EPO use
Quick Look
Kenyan marathon runner Peres Jepchirchir, Olympic gold medalist at Tokyo 2021, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit after testing positive for EPO before the Sydney marathon.
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Why It Matters
Kenyan athletics has faced a resurgence of doping cases for years. The Athletics Integrity Unit has also disqualified Ruth Chepngetich in the past.
Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir, the reigning world marathon champion and Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo in 2021, has been provisionally suspended following a doping test that revealed the use of EPO. This was announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). Jepchirchir, 33, underwent a check-up "before the Sydney marathon" - a race which she then won on 30 August with a time of 2h18'31" - as specified by the AIU on
Already a world champion and past holder of the half marathon world record, Jepchirchir ranks ninth among the fastest marathon runners in history, with a personal best of 2h14'43". In his career he has won, among others, the London (2024), Boston (2022) and New York (2021) marathons.
Beyond the specific case, this suspension represents a further blow for Kenyan athletics which has had to deal with a resurgence of doping cases for several years now. Exactly one year ago, the AIU announced a three-year disqualification for doping against the Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich; in the autumn of 2024, the athlete became the first woman to go under the 2h10' mark in a marathon (2h09'56"), a world record which, despite the disqualification, still remains valid.
Open Questions
- What will be the definitive duration of the disqualification?
- Will Sydney Marathon title be revoked?
