Former Commonwealth Champion Joyce Chepkirui Suspended For Doping

9th July 2019

The 2015 Amsterdam Marathon winner who finished fourth in the 2016 New York Marathon was slapped with a provisional ban on Tuesday alongside compatriot Jacob Kibet Chulyo Kendagor for the presence of banned substance in her system

Kenya's Joyce Chepkirui celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the Amsterdam Marathon 2015 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on October 18, 2015. PHOTO/AFP
Kenya's Joyce Chepkirui celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the Amsterdam Marathon 2015 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on October 18, 2015. PHOTO/AFP
SUMMARY
  • Born on August 20, 1988, Chepkirui established herself as a half marathon runner, winning races in Granollers, Bogotá and Gothenburg. She set a best of 1:06:19 hours to win the 2014 Prague Half Marathon
  • Chepkirui was in scintillating form in the same year when she captured the African 10,000m crown in Marrakech, Morocco having first bagged the first gold for her country at the 2012 Africa Cross Country Championships in Cape Town, South Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya- The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and African women 10,000m Joyce Chepkirui has become the latest high profile Kenyan distance runner to be suspended from competition for doping.

The 2015 Amsterdam Marathon winner who finished fourth in the 2016 New York Marathon was slapped with a provisional ban on Tuesday alongside compatriot Jacob Kibet Chulyo Kendagor according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU)- the anti-doping watchdog of world athletics governing body, the IAAF in the latest blow to the reputation of the sport in a country struggling to rid itself of drug cheats.

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Chepkirui has been suspended for use of a prohibited substance while Kendagor is accused by the AIU of refusing or failing to submit to sample collection to Doping Control Officers.

Born on August 20, 1988, Chepkirui established herself as a half marathon runner, winning races in Granollers, Bogotá and Gothenburg. She set a best of 1:06:19 hours to win the 2014 Prague Half Marathon. 

Chepkirui began competing in cross country running in 2012 and won the Kenyan and African titles. 

Podium sweep

She also competes on the track over 1500 metres and was the silver medallist at the 2011 All-Africa Games before she won gold for her nation in Scotland when she led a Kenyan podium sweep in the women 10,000m final, clocking 32:09.35 for victory.

She forced Florence Kiplagat (32:09.48) and two-time World Cross titleholder, Emily Chebet (32:10.82) who is serving a four year ban from doping to accept the minor medals at the time.

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Chepkirui was in scintillating form in the same year when she captured the African 10,000m crown in Marrakech, Morocco having first bagged the first gold for her country at the 2012 Africa Cross Country Championships in Cape Town, South Africa.

She grew up in Buret District that has since been split between Bomet and Kericho counties.