Athletics (road running) · Kenya · AIU (Disciplinary Tribunal)

Rhonex Kipruto: doping case, ban and appeal

Serving ban CAS reduced the ban to five years on 16 April 2026. Neither CAS nor the AIU has published a new end date. He has been provisionally suspended or ineligible since 11 May 2023, and any end date would be calculated, not published.^2,1

Violation

Use of a prohibited substance or prohibited method (Rule 2.2), based on abnormalities in his Athlete Biological Passport^1,2

Results disqualified

Results from 2 September 2018 to 11 May 2023, which the AIU said include his 2020 Valencia 10km road world record and his 2019 World Championships 10,000m bronze medal

Appeals

• CAS, 16 April 2026: ReducedCAS partly upheld his appeal against World Athletics. It confirmed the violation but found the aggravating circumstances warranted "an additional period of ineligibility of one year instead of two", reducing the ban to five years. The disqualification period was unchanged.²

Athlete's response

The AIU said Kipruto denied the violation and argued that the passport abnormalities came from factors including natural characteristics of his body and medical conditions. After the CAS ruling a statement from his training camp said "I am hurt that the truth hasn't come out" (Pulse Sports, 16 April 2026).

Sources

1. Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU bans Kipruto for six years for ABP violation (5 June 2024)
2. Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS media release 10704, Rhonex Kipruto v World Athletics (16 April 2026)
3. Pulse Sports Kenya, Rhonex Kipruto denies doping in emotional response after CAS reduces ban (16 April 2026)