The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the body that helps to combat doping in the sport of athletics, has handed a provisional suspension to Kenya’s Titus Ekiru for two doping offenses.
In a post made on their official social media platforms on Monday afternoon, AIU noted that the 31-year-old was suspended due to the presence of Prohibited Substances (Triamcinolone Acetonide and metabolite; Pethidine and metabolite) and for Tampering.
“An extensive investigation by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), with important assistance from Kenyan authorities, has led to four charges for Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) against Titus Ekiru – two separate charges relating to the detection of Prohibited Substances in his samples and two separate Tampering charges regarding the results-management process in each case,” the statement read.
The 31-year-old’s charges stem from AIU investigations into Ekiru’s positive in-competition doping tests after marathon victories in the Generali Milano Marathon on 16 May 2021 and the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon on 26 November 2021.
Ekiru tested positive for Triamcinolone Acetonide after winning in Milan but was not immediately charged after the initial investigation appeared to validate his explanation that the result was due to legitimate medical treatment.
The athlete tested positive for Pethidine after winning in Abu Dhabi, and again claimed the outcome resulted from legitimate medical treatment.
The AIU was notified of the positive test for Pethidine on 1 February 2022. Following initial investigations into that matter – and given the emergence of a pattern of Triamcinolone Acetonide use among Kenyan athletes – the AIU reopened the investigation into Ekiru’s first case.
The athlete was provisionally suspended in June 2022, pending the outcome of both wide-ranging investigations which included crucial collaboration with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) and other Kenyan authorities.
This led to the AIU rejecting Ekiru’s explanations, charging him with the Pethidine ADRV in March 2023 and with the Triamcinolone Acetonide ADRV in April 2023.
“Additionally, the AIU now asserts Ekiru has cases to answer for tampering with the results-management processes by submitting falsified medical explanations and documentation to the AIU for both positive tests,” the statement added.
This means the elite marathoner – who has the right to defend himself before the Disciplinary Tribunal – is facing a potential ten-year ban.
Ekiru rose to fame in 2017 where he won the Seville Marathon in Spain with a time of 2:07:42.
In 2018, he won the Honolulu Marathon with a time of 2:09:01 and the half marathon event of the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon with a time of 1:01:02. He also won the Mexico City Marathon event with a new course record of 2:10:38.
In 2019, he won the Milano City Marathon and he set a new course record of 2:04:46. In that year, he also won the Portugal Half Marathon and he set a new course record of 1:00:12. In December 2019, he won the Honolulu Marathon for the second time with a new course record of 2:07:59.
In 2021, he won the Milano City Marathon again and he set a new course record of 2:02:57. He also won the Abu Dhabi Marathon held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
He represented Kenya at the 2019 African Games and he won the men’s half marathon with a time of 1:01:42 becoming the first Kenyan to win the event at the African Games in what was also a new African Games record.
Following the provisional suspension, Ekiru will await the final decision of the case at a hearing that will be conducted under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules or the Integrity Code of Conduct.
