Kenyan marathoner adopts strict anti-doping regime to save "cancerous" national image
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Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 12.09.25. | 19:20
The 29-year-old believes he is serving as an example for other athletes, and to avoid cast a light on the doping scourge in Kenya
Kenyan marathoner Sabastian Sawe says he is tired of the negative press Kenyan athletes gather as a result of the country’s doping problem, but intends to change the narrative by committing to a special anti-doping regime.
Sawe, 29, will on Sunday, 21 September be one of the leading contenders at the 2025 Berlin Marathon, where he will be looking at claiming his third win in the distance.
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While crossing the tape first will be on top of his mind then, this year’s London Marathon champion will also be hoping to send out a message, which he intends sparks to light an important conversation.
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In an exclusive interview with Citius Mag on Thursday, Sawe disclosed that he, alongside his primary sponsor Adidas, had subscribed to a two-month special anti-doping initiative, set to “help dispel any potential doubts about his performance, given Kenya's current doping crisis.”
As per the publication, Sawe and his management team successfully contacted the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to propose their new regime, which involved strict and intense testing in the weeks building up to the Berlin Marathon.
Sabastian Sawe, the London Marathon champion and world's fastest marathoner of 2025, is set to run in his third career marathon later this month in Berlin on Sept. 21.
— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) September 12, 2025
In the lead-up to the race, he and his management team contacted the Athletics Integrity Unit to propose a… pic.twitter.com/vC9zbB9iCo
The program, which began on 25 July, will by the end of its period have seen Sawe undergo 25 anti-doping controls, with AIU-managed tests happening unannounced, and out-of-competition.
Additionally, Sawe and his team will have no knowledge of test times or methods, and will involve the use of the most advanced laboratory protocols.
The special programme, which is fully funded by Adidas, is one Sawe believes will help Kenya in its ongoing fight against doping.
"I am tired of reading what people write in the press and on social media. There is always doubt or an accusation when the athlete is a Kenyan,” Sawe, who won the Valencia Marathon last year, said.
“I do, however, recognize that doping is a huge problem in our country. We cannot deny this or avoid the topic. To do so would be a mistake and we must accept that it is a fact.
To fight the current state of doping, we must shed light on it and the issues surrounding it and work with the sport's authorities and governing bodies like AIU and World Athletics. I feel we must all combat what has become like a cancer for Kenyan athletes.”
On his special anti-doping regime, he said: "By taking this step, I hope that I not only can serve as an example for other athletes, but that people will truly try to address the issue and to try to find lasting solutions.
But first, I want to prove that I am clean when I set foot at the start line and that whatever result comes from my efforts, it is not dragged through the mud because I am Kenyan.”
Sawe’s statement comes moments after Kenya’s Anti-Doping Agency (ADAK) was charged with non-compliance with WADA's code, and only has 21 days to dispute the findings and improve its status.
