Ethiopian marathon star Ruti Aga banned for six years over doping and forged prescription

Ethiopian marathon star Ruti Aga banned for six years over doping and forged prescription

The former Tokyo Marathon champion tested positive for a banned substance after winning a race in China, with investigators uncovering a forged medical prescription that earned her an additional four-year sanction.

Ethiopian marathon star Ruti Aga has been handed a six-year ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance and attempting to mislead anti-doping investigators using a forged medical prescription, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has ruled.

The 32-year-old, a former Tokyo Marathon champion, won the prestigious Japanese race in 2019 and has finished in the top three at four World Marathon Majors, including the Berlin and New York City marathons. She also won the Xiamen Marathon in China in 2024 and 2025.

According to the AIU, Ruti tested positive for methylprednisolone after winning the Meishan Renshou Half Marathon in China on March 15, 2026. The substance, a corticosteroid used to treat inflammation, is prohibited during competition under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.

The case was compounded by an alleged attempt to deceive investigators about how she obtained the drug. Ruti reportedly told the AIU that she had used it to treat a knee injury and submitted a prescription purporting to confirm the treatment.

However, investigators found that the clinic named on the prescription did not exist and that the person who supposedly issued it was a family member who was not registered as a medical practitioner with the relevant authority.

When questioned, the family member claimed to have used an old prescription pad from a former workplace. The clinic, however, told investigators that the individual had never worked there and that the prescription did not belong to it.

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Working with the Ethiopian Anti-Doping Authority, the AIU subsequently established that the document had been manipulated. The unit also found that Ruti had provided false information during an interview with its representatives on April 21, 2026, before submitting the forged document on May 4.

Ruti received a two-year ban for the presence and use of the prohibited substance, alongside a further four-year sanction for tampering with the investigation, bringing her total suspension to six years.

AIU Chief Executive Brett Clothier said the case demonstrated the importance of investigations in detecting doping and challenging athletes' explanations for positive tests.

“We have made significant progress against doping in marathon running over the past six to seven years, but much remains to be done. Investigations are vital to uncovering doping and exposing false explanations. Protecting clean competition takes resources, but this case sends a clear message: attempts to cheat will be exposed," Clothier said.