Former half-marathon world record holder Kibiwott Kandie has been banned from athletics for seven years after admitting to two anti-doping violations, bringing a dramatic setback to the career of one of Kenya's most accomplished distance runners.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced that the 30-year-old accepted charges of refusing to submit to sample collection and tampering with the doping control process, offences that carry some of the sport's most serious sanctions.
According to the AIU, Kandie admitted breaching Rule 2.3, which covers evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection, and Rule 2.5, which relates to tampering or attempted tampering with any stage of the doping control process.
The athlete had initially faced an eight-year ban, made up of four years for each violation. However, the sanction was reduced by one year after he admitted the offences at an early stage and accepted the punishment.
His suspension has been backdated to March 14, 2025, when he was provisionally suspended, and will remain in effect until March 13, 2032.
The ruling marks a sharp fall for an athlete who enjoyed major success on the international stage. Kandie set the world half-marathon record of 57 minutes and 32 seconds in Valencia in 2020 and remains the third-fastest athlete in history over the distance behind Jacob Kiplimo and Yomif Kejelcha. He also won the Valencia Half Marathon in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
The AIU said the case stems from an out-of-competition doping test on March 1, 2025, when doping control officials visited Kandie's home in Kenya.
Investigators said Kandie acknowledged the testing process by signing the electronic Doping Control Form but repeatedly delayed providing a sample. He later informed officials that he urgently needed to travel to Eldoret to make a payment to National Construction Authority officers who were allegedly preparing to close down his construction site.
Despite being informed that refusing a doping test carries the same consequences as returning a positive result, Kandie left the testing location without providing a sample.
The AIU subsequently launched what it described as an extensive investigation into the matter.
According to the disciplinary body, forensic analysis of Kandie's mobile phone revealed that he made several calls during the attempted test to a phone number linked to a registered nurse based in Eldoret.
Investigators also found that the athlete had made 11 financial transfers to the same nurse over the previous 12 months.
The inquiry later expanded after Kandie submitted documents in an attempt to have his provisional suspension lifted. In those submissions, he claimed he had travelled to Eldoret because an urgent environmental inspection was required at his construction site.
The AIU said further investigations disproved that explanation.
"His explanation was exposed as being false after we carried out a forensic analysis of his phone and financial records, while also coordinating with Kenyan authorities to confirm that documents submitted by the athlete from Kenya were fake." The AIU said.
Following those findings, the AIU added a second charge of tampering on May 6, 2026, before Kandie eventually admitted both violations.
Commenting on the decision, AIU Head Brett Clothier said: "This case serves as a reminder that no athlete is above the rules in the sport of athletics. The AIU conducts a sophisticated anti-doping program that rigorously tests the best athletes in the world, and if an athlete refuses a test, it places the integrity of the sport at risk. The AIU has a strong forensic capability and will thoroughly investigate such cases to ensure the truth comes out in the end."