Albert Korir, the Kenyan winner of the 2021 New York Marathon, has been handed a five-year ban from athletics after admitting to doping, track and field investigators confirmed on Monday.
Korir tested positive for CERA, a potent blood-boosting substance and modern variant of EPO, across three separate samples collected in Kenya last October. The tests were conducted while he was in training for a subsequent New York race.
The Athletics Integrity Unit's verdict stipulates that all of Korir's results since October will be disqualified, including his third-place finish in New York last November. The unit stated that the three positive tests 'constitutes clear evidence of the athlete’s use of a prohibited substance on multiple occasions which is expressly identified in the definition of aggravating circumstances.'
The 32-year-old's ban is set to expire in January 2031. His sanction was reduced by one year due to his admission of doping without requesting a formal hearing. Notably, Korir will be permitted to retain his 2021 New York Marathon title.
Korir is not the first Kenyan marathon runner to be hit with a ban in recent months. Women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich was banned for three years last October after admitting an anti-doping violation.
