Kenyan marathon star Albert Korir has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit after testing positive for CERA, a powerful erythropoietin (EPO) class drug linked to endurance enhancement.
The announcement, posted on X on 12 January 2026, thrust Korir into the centre of a fresh doping controversy that has sent ripples through Kenya’s celebrated long-distance running community.
A sudden fall from grace
Korir, who captured global attention with his 2021 New York City Marathon triumph in 2:08:22, now faces an uncertain future as the AIU confirms the presence and use of the banned substance.
Details remain scarce: the governing body has not yet revealed when or where the test was conducted, or the circumstances that led to the adverse finding. For a nation that prides itself on producing world-beating endurance athletes, the provisional suspension is a bitter blow.
Echoes of a recent ban
The Korir case arrives just days after another high-profile sanction. Alice Koigi, 34, was handed a two-year ban after an in-competition test at the Jakarta Running Festival on 26 October 2025 detected Methylprednisolone, a prohibited substance.
Koigi’s sample, analysed at a WADA-accredited laboratory in Bangkok, returned an adverse analytical finding on 28 November 2025, and she was formally notified on 2 December 2025.
Koigi case details and outcome
The AIU’s review of Koigi’s case followed the International Standard for Results Management. Investigators found no procedural errors and determined Koigi had no valid Therapeutic Use Exemption at the time of testing.
Koigi later explained she had received post-race treatment for dehydration, including intravenous infusions of sodium chloride and Ringer lactate, and obtained a retroactive TUE for those treatments. Despite her explanation, the AIU imposed the two-year ban effective December 9, 2025.
Wider concerns for Kenyan athletics
Korir’s provisional suspension compounds growing unease about doping within Kenyan distance running. The country’s dominance on the roads and trails has long been a source of national pride, and each new violation raises uncomfortable questions about oversight, medical practices, and the pressures facing elite athletes.
What comes next
With the AIU yet to publish the full dossier on Korir’s case, the athletics world waits for clarity. Korir has the right to request analysis of his B sample and to access laboratory documentation as part of the results-management process. Until those steps are completed, the provisional suspension stands as a stark reminder that even celebrated champions can find their careers imperilled by anti-doping breaches.
The stakes for Kenyan running
Beyond individual consequences, these cases threaten to tarnish a legacy built on endurance, grit and global success. For fans, coaches and young athletes across Kenya, the message is urgent: safeguarding the sport’s integrity is as vital as chasing the finish line.
