In Summary
- He has also lost the Milano and Abu Dhabi Marathon titles, plus all the prize money accrued in both.
- He colluded with a senior doctor
- Ekiru’s victory in the Generali Milano Marathon would have made him the sixth-fastest
marathoner of all (me.
Kenyan athlete Titus Ekiru is facing a 10-year ban for four charges of anti-doping violations, the Athletic Integrity Unity (AIU) said on Monday.
The alleged violations relate to the use of a prohibited substance as well as two cases of tampering with doping control.
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The Impact of the Ban
(Getty Images)
His ban runs from the date of his provisional suspension on June 28, 2022 until June 27, 2032.
His results on and since May 16th, 2021 have been erased and he must forfeit all race prizes and money.
Ekiru also tested positive after winning the Abu Dhabi Marathon on Nov. 26th for pethidine and its marker norpethidine.
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Collusion With senior Doctor
An investigation showed Ekiru received injections of banned substances during undocumented hospital visits.
Athletic Integrity Unity was able to determine medical documents submitted were forged and inconsistent with hospital and pharmacy records.
The senior doctor claimed Ekiru’s visits were unrecorded by the hospital as “the athlete had attended early in the morning, before the registration offices had opened”.
But hospital documents obtained by the AIU revealed that the outpatient number was not issued to Ekiru until 16 June 2021; the one occasion on which the hospital confirmed Ekiru’s attendance as an outpatient.
The elite marathoner has the right to defend himself before the Disciplinary Tribunal
“For athletes involved in doping and the entourage who assist them, there is one strong message from this case – there is nowhere to hide,” said AIU chair David Howman.
