Renowned Marathoners Sanctioned For Doping

By Becky Mercy

Judith Jerubet Muindi and Daniel Muindi, Kenya’s latest athletes, have been banned from the world athletics’ anti-doping body due to doping offences.

Judith had won bronze at the 2024 Lima Marathon and Daniel Muindi won Silver at the 2024 Lima Marathon.

In Wuhan, Jerubet ran (2:27:38) on March 24, finishing after Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba (2:25:12) and Kenyan athlete Pauline Chemning Korikwiangb (2:26:40) Judith Jerubet has been banned for two years for using a banned substance, triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid commonly used in skin care. This was on April 18, 2/24.

Muindi, 29, a five-time half marathon winner in India and Poland, has been banned for three years after a sample of urine collected at the Lima Marathon in Peru on 19th May, tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid norandrosterone.

Both athletes face these bans as part of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) crackdown on doping while Kenya remains a category.

A nation on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list, requiring stringent testing for its athletes. As stated by the athletics body, the AIU has no evidence that the Anti-Doping Rule Violation was intentional and the period of ineligibility to be imposed is therefore two years.

After failing to respond to multiple requests to respond to a Notice of Charge the AIU concluded that the Athlete had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

“On July 12, 2024, the AIU received an Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form signed by the athlete,” a statement of AIU read in part.

Athletes wishing to represent the country at these events must be registered in a testing pool and undergo at least three mandatory, no-notice out-of-competition tests in the twelve months preceding the championship for them to be entered.