Kenya's Esther Gitahi handed four-year ban after positive EPO test
26-year-old Kenyan middle-distance runner Esther Gitahi has been banned from athletics for four years after testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO)..
✨ Key Highlights
Kenyan middle-distance runner Esther Gitahi has been banned from athletics for four years after testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO). The ban is retroactive to August 6, 2024, and stems from a urine sample provided at the B.A.A. 5K in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 13, 2024.
- Esther Gitahi, 26, was found to have used and possessed EPO, a prohibited endurance-boosting substance.
- The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the governing body, announced the ban after the Disciplinary Tribunal ruling.
- Gitahi admitted to using injections but claimed not to know they contained a banned substance, stating they were for suspected thalassemia.
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Kenyan Athletes Face Doping Ban, Governance Demands, and Safety Concerns - October 2025
Legendary Kenyan athletes are demanding a fair and transparent Athletics Kenya (AK) constitution following a Court of Appeal order from March 2025, pushing for the right to elect executive officials. Simultaneously, the sport faces a doping scandal, as middle-distance runner Esther Gitahi was banned for four years after testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO). Her ban is retroactive to August 6, 2024. Athlete safety is also a major issue, with an athlete in Iten advocating for a collaborative effort to eliminate individuals who impersonate coaches. There are prevalent concerns among athletes and security agencies about Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in training camps. These imposters are reported to prey on young girls and boys.
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