Albert Korir, a former winner of the New York City Marathon and one of Kenya’s most consistent road racers, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug, athletics officials announced on Monday.
Korir, 31, tested positive for CERA, a long-acting form of erythropoietin, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit, the body responsible for policing doping in track and field. The suspension takes immediate effect and bars him from competition while the case is reviewed.
“The AIU has provisionally suspended Albert Korir (Kenya) for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (CERA),” the unit said in a statement.
No details were released about when or where the test was conducted. The AIU typically publishes further information once a case is finalized.
The AIU has provisionally suspended Albert Korir (Kenya) for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (CERA) pic.twitter.com/NoRFI4p1BQ
— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) January 12, 2026
A decorated career now under scrutiny
Korir is one of the most accomplished marathon runners of his generation on difficult, hilly courses, particularly in the United States. He won the New York City Marathon in 2021, earning a $100,000 first-place prize, and finished on the podium there five times in total.
He was runner-up in New York in 2019 and 2023 and placed third in 2024 and 2025. His personal best of 2:06:57 came during a third-place finish at the 2023 New York race.
Beyond New York, Korir won the Vienna City Marathon in 2017, the Houston Marathon in 2019, and the Ottawa International Marathon in both 2019 and 2025. He also placed multiple times in the top six at the Boston Marathon, including a fourth-place finish in 2023.
Six months before his suspension, Korir finished third at the 2025 New York City Marathon in 2:08:57. In May 2025, he won the Ottawa International Marathon in 2:08:22, defeating Canada’s Rory Linkletter by nine seconds.
If the case proceeds to a guilty ruling, Korir could face a lengthy ban and the possible loss of results, prize money, and ranking points earned during the period in question.
What is CERA?
CERA, short for Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator, is a third-generation form of EPO. It was originally developed by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche to treat patients with chronic kidney disease.
The drug boosts the production of red blood cells, improving oxygen delivery to muscles and enhancing endurance. Unlike traditional EPO, CERA remains active in the body for weeks and requires fewer injections.
It has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2004 and falls under WADA’s S2 category, which includes peptide hormones and related substances. CERA gained notoriety in sport during the late 2000s, when it was linked to high-profile doping cases at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Tour de France.
Part of a wider problem in Kenyan athletics
Korir’s suspension adds to a growing list of Kenyan athletes sanctioned for doping violations. More than 130 Kenyan runners are currently serving bans, according to the AIU’s global list of ineligible athletes.
Between January and July 2025 alone, Kenyan authorities suspended 46 athletes for anti-doping violations. Kenya is classified by WADA in Category “A,” a designation reserved for countries with the highest number of positive doping cases.
The case also comes months after the women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich received a three-year ban for anti-doping violations, further intensifying scrutiny of Kenya’s testing and enforcement systems.
For now, Korir remains suspended and unable to compete while the investigation continues.
