Nairobi, Kenya

Kenyan marathon and mountain racer Mark Kangogo on Tuesday became the latest distance runner from the country to be sanctioned by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for allegedly breaching its anti-doping rules.

The AIU said in a statement that Kangogo had been provisionally suspended after tests showed the presence of two prohibited substances in his system, Norandrosterone and Triamcinolone acetonide.

Kangogo's suspension is the latest in a saga that is again threatening to undermine Kenya's athletics reputation. So far this year, 21 Kenyan athletes, mostly marathon runners, have now been sanctioned for alleged doping.

On Monday, fellow Kenyan marathon runner Philemon Kacheran was banned for three years by the AIU for testing positive for excessive levels of testosterone.

Under a provisional suspension, an athlete is temporarily barred from participating in any athletics competition before a final decision is made at a hearing conducted under World Athletics anti-doping rules, according to the AIU.

Kangogo, 33, won the prestigious Sierre-Zinal trail mountain race in Switzerland in August, considered one of the season's toughest trail events, becoming the first African runner to do so.

It was his first attempt at mountain racing and he finished the 31km climb in a time of 2:27.31.

He achieved a personal best time of 2:12.12 in the Luxembourg Marathon in 2018.

In 2016, the country was placed in the top category of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) compliance watch list.