Kenyan marathoner Felix Kirui admits doping, receives two-year ban
Kenyan distance runner Felix Kirui has admitted to using performance-enhancing substances and has been banned for two years, starting 8 July 2025, by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU)—the body established by World Athletics to protect the integrity of the sport.
Born in 1986, Kirui provided a urine sample on 4 May 2025 during competition at the Durban International Marathon, held in Durban, South Africa. The sample was found to contain Triamcinolone acetonide, a prohibited substance.
The AIU notified Kirui of the adverse analytical finding and requested an explanation.
According to the AIU, on 4 July 2025, the athlete wrote to the organization, admitted to using Triamcinolone acetonide, and accepted the adverse analytical finding in his sample. He stated that he did not know the medicine he had used contained a prohibited substance.
Four days later, Kirui also provided written confirmation that he accepted the AIU’s judgment—acknowledging the anti-doping rule violations and accepting the consequences set out in the Notice of Allegation.
Kirui was subsequently handed a two-year period of ineligibility, commencing on 8 July 2025. All results from 4 May 2025 onward have been disqualified, including forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points, prizes, and appearance money.
This means his personal best time of 2:10:45, achieved at the Durban International Marathon, is now invalid. His new personal best will be the 2:10:59 he ran in March 2024 at the Bank of China Wuhan Marathon in Wuhan, China.
