Kenya’s build-up to the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo has been clouded by fresh doping concerns following the provisional suspension of marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich.
Chepngetich, 30, tested positive for the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide in a March 14 test, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). The ban threatens to derail a glittering career that includes the 2019 world marathon title and a historic world record run of 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon last October — the first sub-2:10 finish by a woman.
Her suspension has raised alarm across Kenya’s athletics community, casting a shadow over Tuesday’s national trials ahead of the World Championships scheduled for September 13–25 in Tokyo.
“It has increased suspicions that doping remains a serious issue. Authorities still have much more to do,” said a former Kenyan world champion, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.
Kenya has struggled with a doping crisis for years. After being declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2016, the country has since invested $25 million over five years to repair its reputation. Despite those efforts, nearly 130 Kenyan athletes — most of them long-distance runners — have been sanctioned since 2017.
More recently, in June 2024, marathoner Beatrice Toroitich was handed Kenya’s first-ever lifetime ban, while 10km record-holder Rhonex Kipruto received a six-year suspension.
Sports lawyer Sarah Ochwada, who has represented several banned athletes including Rita Jeptoo and sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala, acknowledged progress in Kenya’s anti-doping efforts.
“Anti-doping is a complex system combining biochemistry and legal regulations,” Ochwada said. “With more testing, both inadvertent and deliberate violators will be caught. But athletes must also take responsibility and avoid breaking the rules unknowingly.”
Diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide are banned substances as they can be used to mask other drugs or aid in rapid weight loss.
Despite the controversy, Athletics Kenya remains optimistic about its medal prospects in Tokyo, marking a decade since the nation topped the medals table at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.
One of the brightest hopes is 18-year-old Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech, who stunned reigning world champion Josh Kerr in the 1500m at the London Diamond League over the weekend. He is expected to be a standout performer in Tuesday’s trials.
