Former half marathon record holder suspended

Former world half-marathon record holder Kibiwott Kandie has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for a violation of the anti-doping rules.

The 28-year-old Kenyan, as per a Friday afternoon statement by AIU, has been charged with "evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection."

Kandie becomes the latest high-profile Kenyan athlete to be caught up in an anti-doping violation, and will now be ruled out future events, as investigations and a decision on his charge is made.

Kandie, a sergeant, rose to world prominence in December 2020, when he won the Valencia Half Marathon, finishing in a then new world record time of 57:32.

His feat, which was eclipsed by Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo a year later, had seen him better the previous world record by almost 30 seconds.

Kandie's resume also includes a 10,000m Commonwealth Games bronze medal which he won in 2022, and a silver at the World Half Marathon Championships in Poland in 2022.

In 2023, Kandie was part of the Kenyan team that took gold at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia.

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Kandie's only race this year was the 10km event at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships in Nairobi, where he finished sixth in a time of 31:05.

The 2021 Istanbul Half marathon champion was set to lead Kenya's charge at the Zurich Marató Barcelona marathon this weekend, but that is now out of the window.

Kandie, Chepngeno headline Zurich Marató Barcelona marathon

In 2025 alone, Kandie is the third Kenyan athlete to be provisionally suspended by the AIU, joining Ronald Kurgat and Brimin Misoi.