Kenyan marathoner Careen Cheptoek handed two year ban for doping
The AIU has banned Careen Cheptoek (Kenyan) for 2 years from 19 February 2025 for presence/use of a prohibited substance (Methylprednisolone).
Kenyan marathoner Careen Cheptoek has been handed a two-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for methylprednisolone, a prohibited substance under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations.
"The AIU has banned Careen Cheptoek (Kenyan) for 2 years from 19 February 2025 for presence/use of a prohibited substance (Methylprednisolone). DQ results from 15 December 2024," seen on the AIU communication.
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Methylprednisolone is a prohibited substance under the WADA 2024 Prohibited List under the category S9. Glucocorticoids is a specified substance prohibited in competition when administered by any injectable, oral or rectal route,” the statement read.
The 31-year-old runner provided a urine sample during the Taipei City Marathon in December 2024, where she finished second with a time of 2:32:53. However, on January 27, 2025, a WADA-accredited laboratory in Tokyo reported an adverse analytical finding in her sample, confirming the presence of the banned substance.
Initially, Cheptoek insisted that medications she had taken may have led to the positive result. However, after reviewing her explanations, the AIU determined that none of the substances she mentioned contained methylprednisolone.
"On 14 February 2025, the athlete responded to the AIU by e-mail stating that she had been taking medicine, which she believed had caused the adverse analytical Finding. However, following review of the information provided, the AIU informed the Athlete that the medicine that the Athlete had referred to was not methylprednisolone and that there was no evidence to indicate that it contained methylprednisolone," the AIU stated.
Days later, Cheptoek admitted the doping charge, suggesting that the banned substance may have been present in supplements shared within her training group.
"On 17 February 2025, the Athlete wrote to the AIU stating, inter alia, that she had tried to think of what she could have taken to explain the Adverse Analytical Finding and noted that her training group shared supplement drinks, especially on long runs. The athlete stated that she would 'accept everything' and 'sign the papers and wait for your decision,'" the AIU revealed.
Following her admission, AIU imposed a two-year ban on Cheptoek, which took effect on February 19, 2025. Additionally, all her results from December 15, 2024, onwards have been annulled, meaning she forfeits her podium finish, prize money, and other accolades earned during that period.
Cheptoek had enjoyed a successful 2024 season, securing second-place finishes at the Jakarta International Marathon in June and the KGL Millennium Marathon in Accra in September. She also boasts victories at the Kaohsiung 25 km race (2016) and the Kaohsiung Fubon International Marathon (2023).
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