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Way back in 2010, Kenyan-American Shadrack Kiptoo Biwott ran the half-marathon distance in the time of one hour and one minute and 40 seconds. This is six years before the super shoe era took off in earnest.
At that time, the half-marathon world record was held by Kenyan Sammy Wanjiru at 58:33, which he ran in The Hague in 2007. While Biwott was fast during his time as a distance athlete, at the international level, he was still two minutes behind Wanjiru. That’s a lot.
So, it is not a big leap to assume he was doping at that time.
At age 17, he arrived in the US and proceeded to win a lot of high school and then NCAA events for the University of Oregon. He may have been doping as a teenager, but it is certainly plausible that he doped at Oregon.
In 2024, he tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO), the red blood cell booster. An independent arbitrator decided that Biwott should receive a four-year suspension, back-dated to February 2024. The United States Anti-Doping Authority made the announcement today on its website.
He is now, during the age of super shoes and bi-carb, two minutes slower — or he was in 2023, he has not raced since.
Biwott is also a coach. This event will end his semi-competitive running career. And USADA should prevent him from coaching too.
