The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has imposed a three-year ban on Kenyan long-distance runner Faith Chepkoech after she tested positive for recombinant Erythropoietin (EPO), a banned performance-enhancing drug. The positive test resulted from an out-of-competition sample collected in Iten on July 26, 2024.
Initially, Chepkoech was set to receive a four-year ban, but the suspension was reduced by one year after she admitted to the offence.
Chepkoech confessed that she had been injected with the prohibited substance by an unknown individual. The AIU received her formal admission of the violation on September 22, 2024, leading to the enforcement of the three-year ban.
In their statement, the AIU detailed Chepkoech’s admission:
“On 13 September 2024, the Athlete attended an interview with AIU representatives and, in summary, explained that she had been injected with an unknown substance by an unknown individual on 20 July 2024. The Athlete admitted the Anti-Doping Rule Violations in interview.”
Achievements Before the Ban
Chepkoech has had a remarkable season prior to the ban, securing multiple titles. She won the Women’s 5,000 meters title at the AK Weekend Meeting in January, followed by a victory at the Castellón 10K in Spain in February. Most recently, she triumphed at the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in the United States in August.
Earlier this year, Chepkoech also competed in the 10,000m event at the Kenyan Olympic Trials held in Eugene, Oregon, where she finished eighth.
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