World marathon champion Jepchirchir provisionally suspended over EPO finding

AI-generated illustration.

World marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended after an out-of-competition sample tested positive for EPO, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced on Friday.

The AIU said the sample had been collected in Kenya before Jepchirchir won the Sydney Marathon on 30 August. The finding concerns a prohibited substance that stimulates red blood cell production and can increase the amount of oxygen carried to the muscles.

The suspension prevents her from competing while the case proceeds. It is an interim measure rather than a final ruling on an anti-doping violation, and the outcome remains subject to the sport’s disciplinary process.

Sydney Marathon organisers said they were disappointed by the announcement but emphasised Jepchirchir’s right to due process. In a statement reported by the Associated Press, they said they would wait for the process to finish before making further comment on her case.

Jepchirchir, 33, is one of the most successful distance runners of her generation. She won Olympic marathon gold at the Tokyo Games, which were held in 2021, and returned to the Japanese capital to claim the world title in September 2025.

Her major marathon victories also include New York in 2021, Boston in 2022 and London in 2024. The Kenyan is a former half-marathon world record-holder, adding to a record that spans championship racing and the leading city marathons.

In Sydney this August, Jepchirchir finished in two hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds, more than three minutes clear of compatriot Irine Cheptai. Friday’s announcement brings her competitive programme to a halt while the AIU, which handles integrity cases for World Athletics, considers the finding.