The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) have slapped Kenyan marathoner Caren Cheptoek with a two-year ban after testing positive for a banned substance.
The agency reveals that the 31-year-old tested positive for methylprednisolone in the aftermath of her second place finish at the Taipei Marathon in December last year.
"On 27 January 2025, the World Anti-Doping Agency ("WADA") accredited laboratory in Tokyo, Japan (the "Laboratory") reported an Adverse Analytical Finding in the Sample based on the presence of Methylprednisolone (the "Adverse Analytical Finding")," the agency said in their report.
Subsequently, Cheptoek claimed to have taken several medications, which she suspected could have been responsible for the banned substance.
However, upon analysis of the medications, AIU revealed that none of them contained methylprednisolone.
"On 14 February 2025, the Athlete responded to the AIU by e-mail stating that she had been taking medicine which she believed had caused the Adverse Analytical Finding. However, following review of the information provided, the AIU informed the Athlete that the medicine that the Athlete had referred to was not methylprednisolone and that there was no evidence to indicate that it contained Methylprednisolone," they said.
The athlete finally admitted the charge, noting that the banned substance may have been in one of the supplements she drank during her long runs.
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"On 17 February 2025, the Athlete wrote to the AIU stating, inter alia, that she had tried to think of what she could have taken to explain the Adverse Analytical Finding and noted that her training group shared supplement drinks, especially on long runs. The Athlete stated that she would "accept everything" and "sign the papers and wait for your decision," the AIU revealed.
Cheptoek had clocked 2:32:53 to finish second in the Taipei Marathon in what was her third podium finish of the year.
She had also claimed second at the KGL Millenium Marathon in Accra in September as well as at the Jakarta International Marathon in June.
The 31-year-old boasts several titles to her name including the Kaohsiung 25km race (2016) and the Kaohsiung Fubon International Marathon (2023).
Following her ban, AIU have disqualified Cheptoek's results on and since December 15, including prize money, appearance, titles and any awards.
