NAIROBI, Kenya — The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has announced a five-year doping ban for Kenya’s 2021 New York Marathon champion, Albert Korir. Korir, 32, admitted to using a banned performance-enhancing drug and was initially facing a six-year suspension. However, the AIU granted a one-year reduction due to his early admission and acceptance of the sanction.
The ban, effective from January 8, 2026, will expire on January 7, 2031. Korir tested positive for a synthetic form of erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates red blood cell production, during out-of-competition tests in Kenya in October 2025.
Korir’s ban comes on the heels of several doping sanctions against fellow Kenyan athletes, including world marathon record holder Ruth Chepngetich, who was banned for three years after admitting to using a banned diuretic. Kenya has been battling a series of doping scandals since the 2016 Rio Olympics, which led to the country being declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Over 140 Kenyan runners have faced sanctions for drug offenses since then.
Source: Athletics Integrity Unit
