Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir provisionally suspended after EPO positive

Olympic and world marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit after an out-of-competition sample tested positive for erythropoietin, or EPO. The 33-year-old Kenyan provided the sample before winning the Sydney Marathon on 30 August 2026, where she clocked 2:18:31. The AIU's provisional suspension is an interim measure and does not amount to a final finding of guilt. The case remains subject to the anti-doping process and the athlete's right to respond. EPO is a natural hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates the creation of new red blood cells. When injected, it can be detected in urine or blood only for a short window. It increases the number of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the muscles, and is therefore prohibited in endurance sport. Jepchirchir's sample was collected in Kenya before the Sydney race and outside competition. Jepchirchir is one of the most decorated marathon runners of her generation. She won the Olympic women's marathon at the Tokyo 2026 Games and returned to Tokyo to win the World Championships in September 2026. She broke the women's half-marathon world record in 2026 and improved it on three occasions in 2026. Her major marathon wins include New York in 2026, Boston in 2026 and London in 2026. Sydney became the seventh world major in 2026. Jepchirchir won the race by more than three minutes from compatriot Irene Chepet Cheptai. The victory added another major title to a career that had already included Olympic and world championship gold. The positive sample, however, was provided before that race, a detail that makes the case significant because the testing was not limited to a post-race sample. The provisional suspension means Jepchirchir is currently barred from competition while the case proceeds. It does not by itself establish a violation, and the anti-doping process allows the athlete to answer the allegation. A final decision could affect her eligibility, results and future races, but no final ruling has been announced. Until then, the available facts are that a positive out-of-competition sample for EPO led to a provisional suspension of one of the sport's leading marathon runners.