Kenya's former New York marathon champion Korir has been handed a five-year doping ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after admitting to using a banned performance-enhancing drug. Korir, 32, tested positive for synthetic erythropoietin (EPO) during out-of-competition tests in Kenya in October 2025. The AIU reduced Korir's original six-year suspension to five years due to his early admission and acceptance of the sanction. Korir's five-year ban will run from January 8, 2026, until January 7, 2031, effectively ending his competitive running career for the next five years. Korir's achievements in the marathon include winning the 2021 New York marathon in 2:08:22 and coming third in 2023 with a personal best time of 2:06:57. He also won the Ottawa marathon in 2019 and 2025.
Korir's doping scandal comes nearly six months after fellow Kenyan athlete Ruth Chepngetich, the current world marathon record holder, was banned for three years for admitting to using a banned diuretic. Kenya's efforts to clean up its image in the athletics world have been ongoing since it was declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2016. Over 140 Kenyan runners have been sanctioned for drug-related offences since then, including a lifetime ban handed out to marathon runner Beatrice Toroitich in June 2024 and a six-year ban to 10km record-holder Rhonex Kipruto.
The ban is set to take effect from January 8, 2026, marking the end of Korir's competitive running career.
The Athletics Integrity Unit's decision to hand Korir a five-year ban sends a strong message that doping will not be tolerated in the athletics world. Korir's admission and acceptance of the sanction have earned him a reduced punishment, but the severity of the ban should serve as a warning to other athletes considering cheating their way to the top. The Kenyan athletics community has been working to restore its reputation after a string of doping scandals, and Korir's ban is a step in the right direction.
