Doping Scandal: Marathon Champion Banned

Albert Korir, the 2021 New York Marathon winner, received a five-year ban after admitting to doping. Positive tests for CERA, a blood booster, led to the ban. His wins and titles since October 2021 are disqualified, though he retains his 2021 New York title.

In a major scandal shaking the athletics world, Albert Korir, the Kenyan winner of the 2021 New York Marathon, has been handed a five-year ban for doping. The Athletics Integrity Unit revealed Korir's admission alongside positive tests for CERA, a modern blood-boosting agent.

The positive samples were collected in October last year while Korir was preparing to compete again in New York. The verdict means disqualification of all results following October, including his third-place finish in the subsequent New York Marathon.

Although his ban will end in January 2031, Korir's straightforward admission granted him a year's leniency from the original term. Notably, he will keep his 2021 win but will see other results stripped.