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Kenyan Alice Koigi and Ugandan Mercyline Chelangat have been banned from the sport of athletics by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). They have been suspended for two years and five years, respectively.
Alice Koigi
The 34-year-old road runner has been suspended dated back to December 9, 2025, for a period of two years after testing positive for methylprednisolone, which is a prohibited substance under the WADA 2025 Prohibited List. Methylprednisolone is a glucocorticoid.
She admitted fault and apologized. It is her first offence, so her sentence was reduced from the usual four years to two years. The suspension is appealable to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
It has been nine years since she ran her half-marathon personal best of 1:15:19 in Nairobi. Six years ago, Koigi ran her fastest 10 km in 35:50 in Gianyar, Indonesia.
Mercyline Chelangat
Mercyline Chelangat of Uganda received a harsher suspension because she tested positive for three drugs in her first test. They are Testosterone metabolites, specifically Androsterone, Etiocholanolone, and 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol. The Ugandan Olympic Committee took the sample on September 19, 2025. The sample was tested at the World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited lab in Stockholm, Sweden.
A second sample was taken in October, tested in Tokyo and was found to contain testosterone and its metabolites, Androsterone and 5αAdiol.
Because she took multiple banned performance-enhancing substances and tested positive twice, this constitutes aggravating circumstances and a longer suspension than the usual four-year term. However, having cooperated and admitting fault, she had her suspension reduced.
What we do know is that she is a bronze medallist from the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, having clocked a 31:48.41. She finished 12th at the 2017 Kampala World Cross Country Championships.
The 28-year-old has a 10,000 metre personal best of 31:15.05 from the 2021 Hengelo Diamond League meet. Her marathon best is from the 2023 Enschede, NED marathon, where she finished in 2:24:12.
The AIU decision is final, but the five-year suspension is appealable to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
