While Kenya is experiencing a reckoning over its anti-doping measures, other countries warrant greater scrutiny than they currently receive. Neighbouring Ethiopia is one of them, as are emerging talents from Bahrain, Eritrea, and Uganda.
For decades, Kenya and Ethiopia have produced athletes who have dominated middle- and long-distance running. The men’s marathon all-time list offers a striking example: the top 200 performances are almost exclusively held by Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes, including those who have subsequently changed allegiance to represent other countries.
The 73rd-fastest performance belongs to Zouhair Talbi (2:03:45), representing the United States. Moroccan-born, Talbi is an exception to the pattern. It is not until the 192nd-fastest performance that another non-African athlete appears: American Conner Mantz, whose 2:04:43 performance came at the 2025 Chicago Marathon. It is the North American record.
However, Talbi’s 2:03:45 was run at the Boston Marathon, where the course does not qualify for record purposes because of its point-to-point configuration and net elevation drop. The 2026 edition also benefited from favourable conditions, including a tailwind. His recognized personal best is 2:05:45, recorded at the 2025 Houston Marathon, four months earlier. That moves him to approximately 480th on the all-time list.
The pattern hardly changes throughout the top-1000 performances all-time.
The women’s 1500m all-time rankings offer another perspective. Approximately 30 of the top 100 performances belong to athletes from outside East Africa. However, many of those performances were recorded by Russian or Chinese athletes, alongside a handful of individuals who appear multiple times, including Laura Muir of Great Britain and Jessica Hull of Australia.
Russia has been banned from international competition over systematic doping, while China’s historical middle- and long-distance dominance under coach Ma Junren, known as Ma’s Army, was also clouded by doping allegations. One former athlete subsequently spoke publicly about doping practices within the program.
American Shelby Houlihan also features prominently in the historical rankings but was suspended for an anti-doping rule violation.
Taken together, the figures suggest that East African athletes account for closer to 90 of the top 100 performances in the women’s 1500m, depending on how nationality and representation are classified. Again, the performance pattern continues throughout all middle and long distance events; it’s all East Africa, all the time.
Ethiopia’s anti-doping authority acknowledges serious problems
Against this backdrop, Ethiopia’s director general of its national anti-doping agency, Mekonnen Yidersal, has raised concerns about the reliability of documentation submitted by athletes attempting to explain irregularities in their records.
Speaking to Addis Ababa-based publication The Reporter on Monday, Yidersal described a profound lack of reliability in the supporting documents athletes provide when asked to justify discrepancies in their information.
According to Yidersal, the organization handles approximately 18 doping-related cases annually, many of which remain under investigation. He revealed that 89 per cent of the evidence submitted is unreliable or falsified.
He cited the recent case involving Ruti Aga as an example. Investigators uncovered an additional violation after discovering that documentation had also been manipulated when she was asked to justify her use of medication following a positive test.
The comments came just days after four Ethiopian athletes were sanctioned last week, with some receiving lengthy bans under aggravating circumstances.
Meanwhile, Let’sRun.com has reported that a reliable source indicated Ethiopia could soon experience a wave of positive doping tests.
Yidersal added that international anti-doping organizations had contacted Ethiopian authorities after uncovering evidence of fraudulent documentation.
During the interview with The Reporter, he also revealed that the national authority conducts approximately 1,300 anti-doping tests annually using its own resources.
Testing operations have expanded to include more in-competition testing and major community road races.
Investigations have also broadened to target potential enablers, including healthcare professionals, pharmacists and employees of institutions suspected of facilitating doping activities.
Ethiopia looks to strengthen its anti-doping framework
Ethiopia is seeking a stronger approach to preventing doping-related activities. The agency is developing a registration application designed to improve the monitoring of athletes, clubs, coaches, agents and other sports management professionals.
Education remains a critical component of the strategy.
Yidersal advised athletes to “consult qualified healthcare professionals before taking any medication” and to follow established protocols strictly.
He urged athletes requiring specific medications for legitimate medical reasons to seek appropriate advice beforehand and consult an authorized physician to guide them through the process.
In some cases, he added, athletes may need to “formally withdraw from competition and complete the relevant therapeutic use exemption procedures before returning to sport.”
