FILE - Albert Korir of Kenya crosses the finish line in second place at the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File)
March 30, 2026 - 2:26 AM
MONACO (AP) — The 2021 New York Marathon winner, Albert Korir of Kenya, was banned for five years after he admitted doping, track and field investigators said Monday.
Korir tested positive for the blood-boosting substance CERA, a modern version of EPO, in three different samples taken in Kenya last October while he was training to run in New York.
The Athletics Integrity Unit said in its verdict that all his results since October will be disqualified, including his third-place finish in New York last November .
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 verdict stated.
The 32-year-old Korir’s ban expires in January 2031. The ban was shortened by one year because he admitted his doping without requesting a hearing, the verdict said.
Korir will be allowed to keep his 2021 New York title. He also finished runner-up in 2019 and 2023, and third in 2024.
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