Kenyas Former Marathon Champion Korir Receives Five-Year Doping Ban

Kenya’s Albert Korir Banned for Five Years Over Doping Violation

Albert Korir, the 2021 New York City Marathon champion from Kenya, has been banned for five years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) following an admission of using a prohibited performance-enhancing substance. The AIU announced on Monday that Korir’s original six-year suspension had been reduced to five years due to his early acceptance of the sanction.

Korir tested positive for erythropoietin, a synthetic form of EPO, during out-of-competition tests in Kenya in October 2023. He was provisionally suspended on January 8 and will serve his ban from that date until January 7, 2031.

The AIU stated that Korir’s sanction is the result of an investigation into a doping offense. The athlete had previously won several marathons, including the 2021 New York City Marathon and the Ottawa Marathons in 2019 and 2025.

This ban follows other high-profile cases involving Kenyan athletes, including Ruth Chepngetich, who was banned for three years after admitting to using a banned diuretic. Kenya has been working to address doping issues since being declared noncompliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency following the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Since then, over 140 Kenyan runners have been sanctioned for doping offenses, including Beatrice Toroitich and Rhonex Kipruto, who received lifetime bans.

Source: Al Jazeera