Olympic and world marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after an out-of-competition sample tested positive for the banned blood-boosting substance erythropoietin (EPO), the AIU confirmed on Friday.
The sample was provided in Kenya prior to Jepchirchir’s victory at the Sydney Marathon on 30 August 2026, where the 33-year-old Kenyan clocked 2:18:31 to win by more than three minutes ahead of compatriot Irene Chepet Cheptai.
The provisional suspension means Jepchirchir is temporarily barred from competition pending a final hearing and decision.
The news marks a dramatic turn for one of distance running’s most decorated active athletes. Jepchirchir’s career has been defined by relentless success across virtually every stage the sport offers.
She won Olympic gold in the women’s marathon at Tokyo 2020, held in 2021, and returned to the Japanese capital to claim the world title in September 2025.
Her major marathon record is equally formidable: victories at the New York City Marathon in 2021, Boston in 2022, London in 2024, and Sydney in 2026 made her a four-time World Marathon Major champion. She also broke the women’s half-marathon world record in 2017 and held the women’s-only marathon world record of 2:16:16 set at London 2024, before it was later surpassed.
Jepchirchir’s journey to the top was forged through hardship. Born into a polygamous family near Iten, she was one of 28 siblings and lost her mother at age two, later being adopted by an uncle.
Financial constraints forced her out of high school at 18, and she turned to running as a path to a different life. “I wanted to change my life, I told myself I want to be like these superstar ladies,” she said in a previous interview.
She was also known for an unconventional approach: training without a coach. “I have no coach. I train myself and believe in competition,” Jepchirchir said in 2025. “I am not one to lie to myself because whenever I go to bed, I know I am up against trained athletes, which motivates me to work even harder on my own.”
In the immediate aftermath of her Sydney triumph, Jepchirchir spoke with characteristic humility. “All the ladies were prepared; I was prepared. But I was not sure I was going to come and win. But I’m so glad, and I’m so happy,” she said at the finish line.
The win had come after a difficult period that included a stress fracture which forced her to withdraw from the 2026 London Marathon.
Jepchirchir has not publicly commented on the provisional suspension. Under AIU procedures, she may request analysis of her B-sample and will have the opportunity to present her case before a final determination is made.
