Marathoner Rita Jeptoo Banned 2 Years, Will Likely Lose 2014 Chicago Marathon Title
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jan 30, 2015 5:35PM
Kenyan marathoner Rita Jeptoo was banned from competition for two years Friday by Athletics Kenya for blood doping. Jeptoo, the 2013 and 2014 winner of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon’s women classification, tested positive for the performance enhancer EPO during an out of competition test last September.
Jeptoo is the highest profile name in a growing doping scandal among Kenyan runners who have dominated long distance running competitions in recent years. Her ban, which was confirmed by the international track federation (IAAF), runs through Oct. 2, 2016, meaning she’ll not compete in this year’s world championships or the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The ban means Jeptoo will likely be stripped of her Chicago Marathon win last year and be asked to return the $100,000 first place prize that came with it. But that won’t officially happen until Jeptoo exhausts all appeals to overturn the decision at her disposal. Currently it’s unknown whether she will appeal the suspension. Jeptoo is a three-time Boston Marathon winner and won the 2013-14 Abbott World Marathon Majors series. The World Marathon Majors have withheld Jeptoo’s $500,000 prize after she tested positive for EPO.