Rita Jeptoo handed 2-year ban

chicago marathon
chicago marathon
Chicago Marathon winners Dennis Kimetto and Rita Jeptoo.

Two-time Back-to-back Boston and Chicago champion Rita Jeptoo has been handed a two-year ban from the International Association of Athletics Federations for testing positive for EPO before her fall win in Chicago.

Jeptoo is one of many high-profile athletes to test positive from Kenya and Russia in recent months, setting off alarms that doping may be more prevalent in the sport than was previously believed.

The 33-year-old Kenyan’s ban will be backdated to Oct. 30, 2014 and will last until October of 2016, barring her from competing in the 2016 Olympic Games.

She will also be stripped of what was a pending World Marathon Majors title, an honour that came with a $500,000 prize, regardless of if any of her marathon titles of stripped. The start date of her ban is after all of her wins though the World Marathon Majors will not award the title to anyone who has been banned for PED use.

Isaac Mwangi, Athletics Kenya CEO, said after Jeptoo’s first hearing on Jan. 15 that there would be another hearing, including others who would testify. The second hearing never happened, leaving some wondering what happened to the others who were planning to speak.

Jeptoo will be able to appeal the decision to the Court for Arbitration in Sport.

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