AIU imposes a 5-year suspension on Kenyan runner Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat for doping violations
In the world of athletics, where seconds define legacies, one wrong step can end a career. For Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat, a 31-year-old Kenyan marathoner, that step came not on the track, but in a decision he thought would help him train harder and last longer. Instead, it cost him five years of his career.
According to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Kiplagat tested positive for two banned substances — EPO and CERA. Both drugs are designed to increase red blood cell production, reduce lactic acid buildup, and boost endurance. To any runner chasing the dream of victory, they sound like shortcuts to success. But in the unforgiving world of anti-doping, they are shortcuts to ruin.
Kiplagat later admitted that he had been introduced to the substances casually. He claimed he got them through a bus conductor who sourced them from a pharmacy and passed them on through a roadside vendor. To him, it seemed harmless — even helpful. To the AIU, however, it was a clear violation of international rules.
The case was worsened by the fact that he used multiple banned substances without ever applying for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). Normally, such violations carry a minimum four-year ban. But because Kiplagat admitted early and cooperated with investigators, his punishment was set at five years instead of potentially longer.
His results from July 29, 2025 onward have been cancelled. That means any medals, prize money, or ranking points he earned after that date are gone.
For Kiplagat, the reality is harsh: his career, once filled with hope and promise, now sits on pause until 2030. For Kenyan athletics, his case is another painful reminder of how vulnerable athletes are to misinformation, shortcuts, and the lure of performance enhancers.
As the AIU continues to tighten its grip on doping worldwide, Kiplagat’s story serves as both a cautionary tale and a tragedy — a reminder that in the race to the top, integrity is the hardest endurance test of all.
