Former New York marathon champ Albert Korir gets drug suspension

Kenya's Albert Korir crosses the finish line to win men's New York City Marathon in 2021. [AP]

Kenya's former New York marathon champion Albert Korir was provisionally suspended on Monday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug in the latest hit to the reputation of the country's running programme.

Korir, 31, tested positive for the synthetic form of erythropoietin (EPO) that stimulates red blood cell production, the World Athletics Integrity Unit said.

He won the 2021 New York marathon in a time of 2:08:22, and came third in 2023 with a personal best time of 2:06:57, and he won the Ottawa marathon in 2019 and 2025.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said in October that Kenya had made "significant" progress in tackling doping but the country remains on a six-month probation while it seeks to improve its monitoring.

That month saw Ruth Chepngetich, the current world marathon record holder, banned for three years after admitting the use of Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a banned diuretic used as a masking agent.

Running is a way out of poverty for many in Kenya, putting pressure on many to turn to drugs, especially since the country lacks the sophisticated infrastructure to train stars.

Kenya worked to clean up its image after a string of doping scandals around the 2016 Rio Olympics led to it being declared non-compliant by WADA.

More than 140 Kenyan runners, mainly long-distance runners, have been sanctioned for drugs offences since then.

In June 2024, Kenya handed out its first lifetime ban to marathon runner Beatrice Toroitich and a six-year ban to 10km record-holder Rhonex Kipruto.