Kiptum suspended from London Marathon as AK weighs in on doping menace

Men's elite runner Kenya's Abraham Kiptum poses during a photocall for the London marathon at Tower Bridge in central London on April 24, 2019. [AFP]

World Half Marathon world record holder Abraham Kiptum has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for an Athlete Biological Passport violation.

Immediately after AIU suspended Kiptum who was relatively unknown prior to breaking the world half marathon in Valencia six months ago, London Marathon organisers immediately announced his removal from the today’s London marathon men’s start list.  

Hugh Brasher, Event Director for London Marathon, said: “We have a zero-tolerance policy on doping. London is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and we recently announced a groundbreaking extensive intelligence-driven testing programme.

This shows the programme is working. Cheats will be caught and there is no place for them in marathon running.”

Kiptum is the latest Kenyan athlete who has been sanctioned for banned substances following an investigation by the AIU and ‘intelligence-driven’ testing.

Kiptum followed up his half marathon world record with a 2:04:16 performance at the Abu Dhabi Marathon in December last year, which later was revealed to have a short course. His personal best at the marathon distance is 2:05:26 from the 2017 Amsterdam Marathon.

Meanwhile, on Thursday at the Athletics Kenya Annual General Meeting members passed a resolution not to allow any athlete who has been sanctioned to represent the country.