Sixth fastest marathoner Ekiru latest Kenyan athlete suspended over doping

The sixth fastest man in marathon history, Kenya’s Titus Ekiru has been flagged down for suspected doping.

Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) Monday provisionally suspended Ekiru, who has a career best of two minutes, 57 seconds, for the presence of Prohibited Substances (Triamcinolone Acetonide; Pethidine and metabolite.

The AIU also stated on its Twitter handle that the 2019 Africa Games Half Marathon champion is facing four charges among them Tampering.

The 31-year-old made history as the fifth man to run a marathon under two hours and three minutes when he won the Milano City Marathon in an explosive 2:02:57 on May 16, 2021 in italy.

Ekiru went on to win the Abu Dhabi Marathon in 2:06:13 on November 26, 2021 and has not competed since then.

After his Milano exploits, Ekiru had promised to break Eliud Kipchoge’s world record of 2:01:39 set during the 2019 Berlin Marathon and even become the first man to run a marathon under two hours in a record-eligible event.

In 2019, Kipchoge became the first man to break the two-hour barrier when he ran 1:59:40 at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, but his result was not ratified as an official world record.

Ekiru now joins the long list of top Kenyan elites who have been banned for various doping offences this year.

Topping the list is the 2019 world 10,000m bronze medallist Rhonex Kipruto, who was flagged down by AIU for anomalies in his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) on May 17.

10-year ban

However, Eklru, who faces a possible 10-year ban, has the right to defend himself before the Disciplinary Tribunal.

An extensive investigation by the AIU, with important assistance from Kenyan authorities, has led to four charges for Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) against Ekiru.

They are two separate charges relating to the detection of Prohibited Substances in his samples and two separate tampering charges regarding the results.

AIU detailed that the charges stem from investigations into Ekiru’s positive in-competition doping tests after marathon victories in the Milano Marathon on May 16, 2021 and the Abu Dhabi Marathon on November 26, 2021.

If found guilty, Ekiru’s times from the two marathons will be rendered invalid hence he will no longer be the sixth fastest marathoner in history.  

Ekiru tested positive for Triamcinolone Acetonide after winning in Milan, but was not immediately charged after the initial investigation appeared to validate his explanation that the result was due to legitimate medical treatment.

“The athlete tested positive for Pethidine after winning in Abu Dhabi, and again claimed the outcome resulted from legitimate medical treatment,” explained a statement from AIU.

The AIU was notified of the positive test for Pethidine on February 1, 2022.

Following initial investigations into that matter, and given the emergence of a pattern of Triamcinolone Acetonide use among Kenyan athletes, the AIU reopened the investigation into Ekiru’s first case.

The athlete was provisionally suspended in June 2022, pending the outcome of both wide-ranging investigations, which included crucial collaboration with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) and other Kenyan authorities.

“This led to the AIU rejecting Ekiru’s explanations, charging him with the Pethidine ADRV in March, 2023 and with the Triamcinolone Acetonide ADRV in April 2023,” said the statement

Additionally, the AIU stated that Ekiru has cases to answer for tampering with the results.

“Management processes by submitting falsified medical explanations and documentation to the AIU for both positive tests,” said the statement.