© Copyright – 2026 – Athletics Illustrated
Two days after the announcement that Ethiopian marathon runner Ruti Aga is suspended for doping and tampering, the athletics world was shocked by the announcement that Tokyo Olympic and Tokyo World Championships marathon gold medallist Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit. She submitted a sample in an out-of-competition test that resulted in a positive for erythropoietin also known as EPO.
Jepchirchir provided the sample prior to winning the Sydney Marathon on August 30 2026.
The 33-year-old recorded a time of two hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds in Sydney. Her personal best is 2:14:43 from the 2025 Valencia Marathon where she finished second to fellow Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei.
EPO is a natural substance produced within the kidneys that stimulates the creation of new red blood cells, however, injecting the substance is not permitted by doping authorities including the World Anti-Doping Agency.
When injected, it increases the amount of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the muscles, in the blood stream.
Jepchirchir became the Olympic women’s marathon champion at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, run in 2021 800 kms north of Tokyo in Sapporo. She returned to Japan to win the Tokyo World Championships in September 2025.
Jepchirchir broke the women’s half-marathon world record in 2017 and three times in 2020.
Other wins include the 2021 New York City Marathon, the 2022 Boston Marathon and the 2024 London Marathon. She earned gold during the 2016 and 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships.
When asked in 2020 if WADA is doing enough to stop doping, she told Athletics Illustrated, “I think with the Athlete Biological Passport and the whereabouts it’s a big jump to fight the doping. World Athletics must continue in this way.”
Kenya has a major doping problem. The country will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships has had approximately 400 to 500 athletes suspended to doping-related issues since 2012.
