Albert Korir, the 2021 New York City Marathon champion from Kenya, received a provisional suspension Monday following a positive test for erythropoietin, marking another setback for the East African nation’s troubled anti-doping efforts.
According to AFP, the World Athletics Integrity Unit announced that Korir, 31, tested positive for the synthetic form of EPO, a blood-boosting substance that increases red blood cell production and enhances endurance performance.
Korir captured the 2021 New York City Marathon title in 2:08:22 and returned two years later to finish third with a personal record of 2:06:57. He also claimed victories at the Ottawa Marathon in 2019 and 2025.
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The suspension comes as Kenya remains under scrutiny from international anti-doping authorities. The World Anti-Doping Agency placed the country on six-month probation in October while acknowledging “significant” improvements in its testing and monitoring systems.
That same month, marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich accepted a three-year ban after admitting to using Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic classified as a masking agent for performance-enhancing drugs.
Kenya has struggled to combat doping violations among its distance runners, with more than 140 athletes sanctioned for drug offenses since 2016. The country faced compliance issues with WADA following multiple doping cases around the Rio Olympics that year.
The economic pressures facing Kenyan athletes have contributed to the problem, as running provides a pathway from poverty for many competitors in a country that lacks the advanced training infrastructure available to athletes in wealthier nations.
Kenyan authorities imposed their first lifetime ban in June 2024, sanctioning marathon runner Beatrice Toroitich while issuing a six-year suspension to 10-kilometer record holder Rhonex Kipruto.
