Sh6.9 million Uhuru Classic Marathon winner suspended for doping

Agnes Jeruto Barsosio, who pocketed Sh6.9 million for winning the inaugural Nairobi City Marathon, formally Uhuru Classic Nairobi City Marathon last year, has been provisionally suspended for a violation of the anti-doping rules.

Also provisionally suspended is the 2018 Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medallist Rugers Kwemoi, who is also the 2016 World Athletics Under- 20 Championship 10,000m champion.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Friday that they had suspended the duo after they discovered anomalies in their Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).

The 40-year-old Barsosio, the 2019 Hangzhou Marathon and 2017 Paris Marathon champion, clocked two hours, 24 minutes and 45 seconds to win Uhuru Classic Nairobi City Marathon and also pocket Sh6.9m, beating Shyline Jepkorir and 2011 World marathon bronze medallist Sharon Cherop.

Barsisio, who has not competed since then, failed to defend her title this year owing to a hamstring injury.

Barsosio’s sister Stella, 2021 Rotterdam Marathon champion, was in February this year handed a two-year ban for doping by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).

Stella and 2019 Standard Chartered Bank Nairobi Marathon champion Purity Changwony, were kicked out from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year for doping offences.

That left 2020 Los Angeles Marathon champion Margaret Wangari to fly the national flag alone in the women's marathon, where she eventually settled for the silver medal.

Kwemoi last represented Kenya when he got a wild card in 10,000m to finish a distant 15th at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States of America last year.

Kwemoi, 25, has competed in three 10,000m races this year in Japan with his last coming on May 13 where he finished third in 28:49.34 at the 67th Central Japan Corporate Teams Athletics Championships at Nagaragawa Stadium, Gifu.

The Barsosio sisters and Kwemoi join the long list of Kenyan athletes who are either provisionally suspended or serving lengthy bans for varying doping offences.

ADAK provisionally suspended 20 more athletes for various doping offences in June this year.

Fasting rising 100 metres sprinter Samuel Imeta, 2021 World Under-20 3,000m silver medallist Zena Jemutai and Africa 800m champion Jarinter Mawia are some of the elite athletes who flagged.

Imeta’s case has since cost Kenya a place in men’s 4 x100m at the World Athletics Championships starting August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary.