Kenyan marathoner Lawrence Cherono gets 7-year ban for doping violation

NAIROBI, Kenya

A Kenyan winner of both the Boston and Chicago marathons was given a seven-year suspension on Wednesday by an international doping watchdog.

The ban on Lawrence Cherono by the Athletics Integrity Unit stems from a positive test for trimetazidine, a banned substance, in an out-of-competition sample collected in July 2022.

“The 35-year-old Kenyan, a two time major marathon winner and 12th fastest marathon runner of all time, was found to have breached Anti-Doping Rule (ADR) 2.1, relating to the Presence of a Prohibited Substance,” the unit said in a statement.

“This decision is testament to the tireless and persistent efforts of the AIU in investigating doping and the explanations provided for positive tests,” said Brett Clothier, who heads the watchdog.

The unit noted that Trimetazidine found in samples collected from Cherono is classified as a metabolic modulator and is prohibited in competition due to its potential performance-enhancing effects.

Cherono's seven-year ban is effective from the date of his initial provisional suspension on July 16, 2022.

This ban follows a series of recent doping violations leading to lengthy bans that have cast a shadow over Kenyan athletics.