Ex-New York Marathon champion receives lengthy ban for anti-doping offence

NAIROBI, Kenya, March 30, 2026 – The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has slapped Kenyan marathoner Albert Korir with a five-year ban for the use of a prohibited substance.

In a statement, the agency said the 2021 New York Marathon champion was found to have use the banned substance, Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator (CERA).

“The AIU has not demonstrated that the Anti-Doping Rule Violations were not intentional. Therefore, the mandatory period of Ineligibility to be imposed is a period of four (4) years,” the statement read.

AIU also noted that Korir did not only use the substance once but on numerous occasions hence the lengthy ban, instead of the usual four years in such cases.

“The Adverse Analytical Findings confirm the presence of CERA in Samples that were collected on 3 October, 13 October and 21 October 2025. This 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,” AIU said.

They added: “The above therefore justifies an increase of the period of Ineligibility unless the Athlete can establish that he did not knowingly commit the Anti-Doping Rule Violations. The Athlete has failed to establish that he did not knowingly commit the Anti-Doping Rule Violations.”

The 31-year-old marathoner was provisionally suspended early this year after testing positive for the substance.

CERA is a synthetic version of another banned substance, Erythropoietin (EPO).

Both drugs are often used to treat anemia as well as kidney complications.

However, for unscrupulous athletes, it is efficient for building endurance by increasing red blood cells count, haemoglobin levels and the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.

Apart from New York, Korir has also won the 2016 Kona Marathon – his maiden career win — 2017 Vienna Marathon as well as the 2019 Ottawa Marathon.

The ban takes effect from October 3 last year and comes with the forfeiture of any medals, titles, awards, points, prizes, prize money and appearance money.

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