AIU slap three-year ban on dope guilty Kenyan marathoner Kacheran

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has banned Kenya’s marathoner Philemon Kacheran Lokedi for 3 years effective July 8, 2022 for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance,Testosterone.

Kacheran was initially suspended in July, just before the Commonwealth Games where he was set to lead Kenya's team in Birmingham.

AIU confirmed that the Kenyan admitted the violation and returned a signed Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form confirming the same in September, an action that saw him receive a one-year reduction in the asserted period of Ineligibility pursuant to Rule 10.8.1 based on an early admission and acceptance of sanction.

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"On the basis that the Athlete has admitted the Anti-Doping Rule Violations under Rule 2.1 ADR and Rule 2.2 ADR, in accordance with Rule 10.2.1 ADR and the application of Rule 10.8.1 ADR, the AIU confirms by this decision the following Consequences for a first Anti-Doping Rule Violation:

21.1. a period of Ineligibility of three (3) years commencing on 8 July 2022 (the date of Provisional Suspension); and

21.2. disqualification of the Athlete’s results since 27 April 2022, with all resulting Consequences, including the forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points prizes and appearance money," part of the decision by the AIU read.

This year, Kacheran had participated in two marathons - the Tokyo Marathon in March which he did not finish, and the NN Marathon Rotterdam in April where he finished eighth.

He finished third in the Valencia Marathon in December last year in a race won by Lawrence Cherono, who was just recently suspended by AIU. He was due to do duty for Kenya at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA.