World Marathon Champion Peres Jepchirchir Suspended for EPO

Kenyan marathon world champion Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for EPO, according to an independent integrity unit report published Friday. The 33-year-old athlete returned a sample containing traces of the banned substance, which boosts red blood cell production and improves oxygen transport in the blood stream.

Training Sample Collected Ahead of Sydney Victory

The Athletics Integrity Unit stated that Jepchirchir’s positive sample was collected during a training session in Kenya prior to her victory at the Sydney Marathon on August 30. Barnabas Korir of the Kenyan Athletics Federation told Agence France-Presse that officials were stunned by the development given Jepchirchir’s elite standing and decorated career. The runner claimed gold at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and holds past victories at the London Marathon in 2024, the Boston Marathon in 2022, and the New York City Marathon in 2021. She also formerly held the world record in the half marathon.

Kenya Hosts 2029 World Championships Amid Doping Scrutiny

Kenya has faced mounting scrutiny over anti-doping violations in recent years, with more than 140 athletes suspended or banned for performance-enhancing substances since 2017. That group includes marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich. The disciplinary action arrives as Kenya prepares to host the World Athletics Championships in 2029, marking the first time the global track and field showcase will take place on the African continent.

World Athletics Sebastian Coe previously remarked that hosting the global championships will aid efforts to clean up Kenyan track and field. During a recent visit to the country, World Anti-Doping Agency Witold Banka emphasized that maintaining a credible reputation as a home of champions requires zero tolerance for doping and a tougher enforcement framework to prevent and penalize violations.