The verdict fell for Sarah Chepchirchir on Tuesday February 13. Caught doping for the second time in her career, the 39-year-old Kenyan may never return to the roads. She has been suspended for eight years by the Athletics Integrity Unit. Chepchirchir tested positive for testosterone, the AIU said. The sample was taken at the Bangsaen42 Chonburi marathon in Thailand in November.The 39-year-old was previously suspended for four years in 2019, backdated to April 11, 2018, due to anomalies in her blood passport. The final ban will be backdated to December 22, 2023, and Chepchirchir's competition results from November 5 onwards will all be cancelled. Chepchirchir, who won the Tokyo Marathon in 2017, had the option of reducing the ban by one year by formally acknowledging the charges before the February 11 deadline.
