World Athletics president frustrated over Chepng'etich keeping marathon record despite doping ban
.jpg)
.jpg)
Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 18.12.25. | 10:59
The 31-year-old was handed a three-year ban after allegedly taking medication not prescribed to her that contained a banned diuretic
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said he shared people's "frustration" that the women's marathon world record held by Ruth Chepng'etich still stands despite the Kenyan receiving a three-year doping ban in October.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news
Chepngetich's achievements and records pre-dating the incriminating sample she gave in March 2025 still stand, including the world record of 2:09.56 set at the 2024 Chicago marathon.
Kenyan marathon runner Ruth Chepngetich has been banned for 3 years over a doping violation. The 31-year-old allegedly took medication not prescribed to her that contained a banned diuretic. Her world record from last year will stand, along with all records prior to March 14 pic.twitter.com/ksIw6wPYN3
— Africa Book of Records (@africarecordss) October 27, 2025
Coe, reviewing the athletics year with agency reporters this week, said legal constraints prevented the 31-year-old being stripped of her record.
"I'm not a lawyer mercifully, but there are some legal challenges, of course, that the burden of proof can only be a positive test and evidence that a doping infringement was taking place at the time that the performance was made," said the two-time 1500 metres Olympic champion.
"Yes, there are frustrations, and I share that view but I am advised on good legal authority.
"It is extremely difficult to do a retrospective assessment if you don't have the ability to absolutely... demonstrate that that was a performance-enhanced outing."
Coe, who along with his federation's decision-making Council, has been Ukraine's most high-profile supporter among sports governing bodies by imposing a blanket ban on Russian athletes, admitted the battle against doping was never-ending but there "is a recognition amongst athletes -- and this is an important recognition -- that you know there is no fear or favour".
High-profile athletes and powerful federations with "the sort of political powers you had in the past, that counts for absolutely nothing now," said the former British Conservative lawmaker.
"It's a very, very different landscape. Is it a perfect landscape? No, of course it isn't.
"I've always made this point that we're never going to get to the Elysian Fields of this."
Coe said he and the Athletics Integrity Unit he set up to conduct drug testing in the sport "wake up each day trying to figure out how to be better at this".
"We've got to go beyond just simple compliance or minimum requirements here. We've got to reach for the stars... literally."
Additional reporting by AFP.
