Olympic Marathon Champion Peres Jepchirchir Suspended for EPO Violation
The Kenyan runner faces provisional suspension after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.
Olympic and World Championships marathon gold medallist Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit following an out-of-competition sample that tested positive for EPO (erythropoietin).
Jepchirchir, 33, provided the sample in Kenya on August 30, 2026, prior to her victory at the Sydney Marathon. She won the race with a time of two hours, 18 minutes, and 31 seconds, finishing more than three minutes ahead of compatriot Irene Chepet Cheptai.
EPO is a naturally occurring hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells. When injected, it increases oxygen-carrying capacity to the muscles, but it is detectable in urine or blood for only a short period.
Jepchirchir's career highlights include winning the women's marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the World Championships in September 2025, which were both held in Japan. She also set the women's half-marathon world record in 2017 and achieved this feat on three occasions in 2020.
Her major marathon wins also include the New York Marathon in 2021, the Boston Marathon in 2022, and the London Marathon in 2024. The Sydney Marathon became the seventh world major marathon in 2025.