Peres Jepchirchir Faces Provisional Suspension for Doping

Peres Jepchirchir, the current women's marathon champion, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit due to a positive test for EPO from an out-of-competition sample.

The Kenyan athlete provided the sample before her victory at the Sydney Marathon on August 30, 2026, where she finished with a time of two hours, 18 minutes, and 31 seconds, winning by a margin of three minutes and 40 seconds.

EPO, or erythropoietin, is a substance that enhances red blood cell production, improving oxygen delivery to muscles. Jepchirchir, who previously won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2025 World Championships, has also set multiple records in her career, including the women's half-marathon world record.