Kenya’s Joyline Chepngeno, who just weeks ago looked set to become one of the breakout stars of trail running, has been handed a two-year ban after testing positive for a banned corticosteroid.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed on September 8 that Chepngeno returned a positive test for triamcinolone acetonide following her victory at Switzerland’s Sierre-Zinal on August 9. The drug, commonly used to treat inflammation and pain, is prohibited in competition under World Anti-Doping Agency rules.
The positive test wipes out two of the biggest wins of her career.
On August 29, she became the first Kenyan to win the 50 km OCC race at UTMB Mont Blanc, just three weeks after triumphing at Sierre-Zinal. Both results have now been annulled.
China’s Miao Yao inherits the OCC crown, while Caroline Kimutai is recognized as the new champion at Sierre-Zinal, with Katie Schide and Maude Mathys moving up to second and third respectively.
Chepngeno admitted to injecting the banned substance and accepted the violation, allowing the AIU to issue a swift sanction that will keep her out of competition until September 2027. She will also forfeit all titles, medals, and prize money earned since the date of the positive test.
The repercussions were immediate. Salomon, her sponsor, cut ties within hours of the announcement, calling the violation “unacceptable and not to be tolerated.”
In a strongly worded statement, the French brand said the behavior contradicted the values at the core of its DNA and reaffirmed its “steadfast commitment to clean sport, ethical conduct, fairness, equal treatment, and principled action in all we do.”
Race organizers at Sierre-Zinal went further, sanctioning Chepngeno’s coach, Julien Lyon, and suspending his Milimani Runners team from future editions.
Lyon has also been ordered to reimburse the event for travel, meals, accommodation, and other costs linked to his team’s participation, as well as compensate for reputational damage.
Chepngeno herself will not be able to compete at Sierre-Zinal for the duration of her suspension.
This is not the first time the Swiss race has been forced to strip its winner for doping. In 2022, Esther Chesang of Kenya was disqualified after testing positive for the same substance, triamcinolone acetonide.
The recurrence raises difficult questions for both race organizers and the sport more broadly, which has struggled to respond to a growing number of doping cases as trail running expands beyond its traditional European base.
For Chepngeno, the ban derails what was shaping up to be a breakthrough season and halts her rapid rise just as she was breaking new ground for Kenyan athletes on the international mountain running stage. For trail running, it marks another reminder that as the sport grows, so too does the need to confront doping with the same rigor expected in road and track athletics.
