Athletics Integrity Unit provisionally suspends marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir over EPO test

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended Peres Jepchirchir, Kenya's world and Olympic marathon champion. Al Jazeera, BBC Sport and The Guardian all reported the suspension.

The suspension follows an out-of-competition sample that tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO), a banned substance. The sample was collected in Kenya before Jepchirchir won the Sydney Marathon in August 2026. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not give the exact date of collection.

Jepchirchir, 33, is the reigning world marathon champion. She won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games, which were held in 2021 after a delay caused by Covid. The BBC refers to them as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She has also set a world record in the women's half-marathon.

Her major marathon wins include New York (2021), Boston (2022), London (2024) and Sydney (2026). Al Jazeera and The Guardian describe her as a four-time World Marathon Majors winner. In Sydney, she won in 2:18:31, more than three minutes ahead of a Kenyan compatriot surnamed Cheptai.

According to BBC Sport, the Sydney race took place on 30 August 2026. The BBC also reported that Jepchirchir won the World Championships marathon in Tokyo in September 2025. It said she broke the half-marathon world record in 2017 and three times in 2020. The BBC added that Sydney became the seventh World Marathon Major in 2025.

According to The Guardian, Jepchirchir is provisionally suspended while the case is investigated. The Guardian also reported that more than 140 Kenyan athletes have been suspended or banned by the AIU since 2017. It noted that World Athletics has awarded Nairobi the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

The AIU has also sanctioned Ruth Chepngetich, Kenya's women's marathon world record holder. According to Al Jazeera, she received a three-year ban after admitting anti-doping rule violations involving hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a prohibited diuretic. Al Jazeera said her world record of 2:09:56 stands because it was set before her positive test.

The reports do not include any response from Jepchirchir. They do not say whether a B-sample has been requested or tested. They also do not describe a possible sanction, the timeline of the process, or what will happen to her Sydney result or other titles.

What is disputed

The spelling of the runner-up's name differs. Al Jazeera gives it as Irine Cheptai. The BBC gives it as Irene Chepet Cheptai.

What each side says

The outlets attribute the reason for the suspension to the AIU. The reports do not quote the AIU's statement directly.

Jepchirchir's agent, Gianni Demadonna, said in an emailed statement quoted by Al Jazeera: "I can only say that I feel terrible about what happened and I think it's only right that an athlete who uses performance enhancing drugs should be disqualified."

In a statement on social media quoted by Al Jazeera, the Sydney Marathon organisers said they were "extremely disappointed". They said: "Jepchirchir is entitled to due process and we will make no further comment on the case until that process has concluded." They added: "Our commitment to clean sport is unwavering." According to Al Jazeera, they said they have invested in more out-of-competition testing with the AIU alongside the other Abbott World Marathon Majors.

Analysis

A provisional suspension is not a final ruling. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe the next steps, so several outcomes remain possible. The case could end in a sanction, with consequences for her results and titles. It could also be resolved differently, depending on any further testing and the disciplinary process. The case adds to scrutiny of anti-doping in Kenyan distance running. That scrutiny includes the Chepngetich case and the number of Kenyan athletes sanctioned since 2017. Individual cases, however, do not by themselves establish a wider pattern or its causes. How authorities and event organisers respond may shape public trust in race results.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.