Kenyan athletics was hit with a major roadblock in March, when 140+ athletes were sanctioned or suspended for doping offences by the Athletics Integrity Unit [AIU]. This mostly included long-distance runners, with a prominent name, Albert Korir, a New York Marathon champion, also banned for five years. The dark cloud of doping has since been lingering over the country, but Olympic legends gathered at the Eldoret City Marathon 7th Edition Awards ceremony to help send a message to not just the 140+ athletes, but also to the next generation of runners.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Friday’s Eldoret City Marathon awards ceremony became more than a celebration of champions. Not only was it an award ceremony for the winners of the Marathon, but advice was also provided to help athletes uphold the country’s legacy.
Two-time Boston Marathon champion Moses Tanui informed: “We are happy to report that there was no doping case among athletes who participated in the marathon.”
A stacked bunch of dignatories including 28 Olympians, were present to honor the top 20 finishers from April’s marathon. It was the perfect moment for him to give the next generation of athletes some great advice on how not to go down the wrong route.
“Let us motivate the young athletes to understand that they will be talking to and mentoring the next generation when they retire,” he said. “We need to train hard and run clean because the consequences of doping are dire. Let us make Kenya the superpower of distance running by running clean. Come to retired athletes for advice instead of engaging middlemen in the sport.”
Olympic bronze medal winner Mike Boit had transitioned from being a middle-distance runner to a professor. As someone who has done extensive work with Kenyan Sports authorities, Boit also had some words of advice for those present there.
“Focus on the track, roads, and hills, and you will be a champion. An athlete from Uganda won the women’s marathon this year, and this means that it is no longer a Kenyan affair,” he said.
The message from these legends was clear: to save Kenyan track stars from going down the route of doping.
Kenya has big problems to deal with ahead of the 2028 LA Olympics
Kenya continues to battle a growing wave of doping cases. As of July 2026, the country remained in the Athletics Integrity Unit’s Category A risk group. This means extra pre-competition testing before major events. The recent provisional suspensions and bans involving prominent athletes have further increased international attention, creating fresh challenges for teams, officials, and the sport’s image.
In response, the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya said education programs have expanded, and testing uncovered fewer violations during early 2026 than in 2025. Even so, concern remains over repeated cases involving certain banned substances and whereabouts failures. Such banning reports are concerning with the 2028 LA Olympics around the corner.
Undoubtedly, Kenyan athletes will have to prove themselves once again that they are ready to race clean on the world stage. And Friday’s message from the Olympic legends was just another major push towards the greater goal.
