Ottawa Marathon champion suspended after positive drug test

The winner of the 2025 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon, Kenya’s Albert Korir, was provisionally suspended on Monday after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced he had tested positive for a synthetic form of erythropoietin (EPO).

The AIU said Korir tested positive for CERA (continuous erythropoietin receptor activator), a long-acting form of EPO that stimulates red blood cell production for two to four weeks. CERA has been classified as a prohibited substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2004.

The AIU has provisionally suspended Albert Korir (Kenya) for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (CERA) pic.twitter.com/NoRFI4p1BQ

— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) January 12, 2026

Korir won the 2025 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon last May in 2:08:22, defeating Canada’s Rory Linkletter by nine seconds. It marked the second Ottawa victory of Korir’s career, having previously won the race in 2019. No Canadian man has won the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon in 25 years.

Six months later, Korir placed third at the 2025 New York City Marathon in 2:08:57. The 31-year-old Kenyan is a five-time podium finisher in New York and a former champion, having won the race in 2021. His personal best of 2:06:57 came with a third-place finish at the 2023 edition.

Details regarding when and where the positive test occurred have not been disclosed, but it likely stemmed from an out-of-competition test or the 2025 New York City Marathon. 

Run Ottawa, the organizers of the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon, told Canadian Running in a statement that they are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness and athlete health at their events.

On June 18, Run Ottawa was notified by the AIU that Korir’s sample from May 25 did not show the presence of prohibited substances under the current WADA Prohibited List. These tests were performed by Sport Integrity Canada (formerly CCES). 

“Run Ottawa works closely with governing bodies and testing authorities to ensure that all competitions are conducted in a manner that is transparent, credible and consistent with global anti-doping regulations. We remain focused on delivering a world-class event that reflects the values of the sport and the trust of our athletes, partners and community,” the statement reads.

Under the provisional suspension, Korir is prohibited from competing as the AIU continues its investigation.

Korir is the latest big-name Kenyan athlete to be suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit, following the three-year ban of women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich in October 2025. According to the AIU’s Global List of Ineligible Persons, more than 130 Kenyan runners are currently serving doping-related suspensions.