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Jonah Koech, also known as Jonah Koech Kipruto, has been suspended by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after his Athlete Biological Passport indicated that he had been blood doping.
The 29-year-old Colorado Springs, CO, resident has accepted a three-year ban.
“This case is proof that the Athlete Biological Passport can both deter and detect doping,” said USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart. “To ensure a fair playing field, every anti-doping organization needs this tool and the resources to use it effectively.”
Samples were collected from Koech on July 30 and August 8, 2025, before and after he won the 1500 metres at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. According to USADA, abnormalities in his Athlete Biological Passport showed values consistent with blood doping.
Because apparently one set of blood samples was not enough to settle the matter, additional samples were collected to build out Koech’s passport profile. The latest inconsistency was reported in February 2026.
That puts a fairly large asterisk beside Koech’s 3:30.17 personal best for 1500 metres, which he ran to win the 2025 U.S. Championships. It also invites a second look at his 1:43.32 for 800 metres.
Koech also won the Rabat Diamond League 1500 metres in 2025, running 3:31.43.
With the suspension, the U.S. championship podium gets rearranged. Ethan Strand moves into gold, Cole Hocker takes silver, and Hobbs Kessler moves up to bronze.
It is one of those results that looks considerably different after the blood has been tested.
