Bitter Penalties: What Peres Jepchirchir, 32, Could Face After Provisional Suspension

Kenyan marathon star Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) following an adverse analytical finding for erythropoietin (EPO), a prohibited substance associated with blood doping.

According to the AIU, the finding came from an out-of-competition sample collected in Kenya before Jepchirchir won the Sydney Marathon.

EPO is a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. Its prohibited use in sport can increase the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity and potentially improve endurance.

The AIU announced the provisional suspension in a statement posted on its official X account on Friday, October 23.

The finding does not, on its own, establish that an anti-doping rule violation has been confirmed. The case remains subject to the applicable anti-doping procedures.

Jepchirchir recently won the 2026 Sydney Marathon in 2:18:31, leading a Kenyan one-two finish. Fellow Kenyan Irine Cheptai finished second in 2:22:11, while Ethiopia’s Shure Demise took third place in 2:22:33.

The 32-year-old athlete is among Kenya’s most decorated long-distance runners. She won the women’s marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and claimed the world marathon title in Tokyo in 2025.

Her other major marathon victories include the London Marathon in 2024, the Boston Marathon in 2022 and the New York City Marathon in 2021.

Jepchirchir has also won three World Athletics Half Marathon Championships titles, in 2016, 2020 and 2023.

The provisional suspension places her under an anti-doping cloud as the case proceeds. Further details about the next steps in the proceedings were not provided in the report.

https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-10-23-jepchirchir-suspended-over-alleged-epo-doping

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