ADAK determined to net more in wake of World Marathon Record holder’s suspension
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 27.07.25. | 07:36
ADAK is intensifying its efforts not just to identify rogue athletes, but to unmask the enablers and cartels behind them.
The suspension of women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chepng’etich has triggered renewed urgency in Kenya’s fight against doping, with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) now shifting its attention beyond individual athletes to their wider support networks.
Chepng’etich was provisionally suspended on Thursday, 17 July, by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for a banned diuretic and masking agent in March.
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While a provisional suspension was not initially mandatory under the World Anti-Doping Code, she voluntarily accepted one in April as the AIU continued its investigation.
A statement from the AIU confirmed that a Notice of Charge had since been issued, formally triggering her provisional suspension.
The news sent shockwaves through the global athletics community, especially given Chepng’etich’s meteoric rise and record-breaking performance at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, where she ran an astonishing 2.09:56, making her the first and only woman to break the 2:10 barrier in the marathon.
In response to the development, ADAK’s Director of Standards and Compliance, Peninah Wahome, noted that the body is intensifying its efforts not just to identify rogue athletes, but to unmask the enablers and cartels behind them.
“If the athlete speaks, we are not limited. Our jurisdiction goes beyond the athlete. It involves the support personnel, Kenyans, and everybody who is within the boundaries of the country.
We are not going to limit our operations to an individual. Our interest is to know the people behind the individual. That is what we are focusing on now because the war against doping will not be won if we have cartels operating underground,” Wahome told Mozzart Sport.
ADAK’s renewed strategy echoes global trends. In March this year, former Zambian Olympic sprinter and current USA Track & Field coach Gerald Phiri was provisionally suspended after three athletes under his watch tested positive for the banned substance cardarine.
The AIU, in collaboration with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), launched a joint open investigation into Phiri’s alleged possession of other banned substances and for providing false information during the probe.
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