Reigning world marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test.

The sample collected in Kenya prior to her recent Sydney Marathon victory returned an adverse analytical finding for EPO.

The former world record holder in the half marathon is also a four-time World Marathon Major winner for the Sydney Marathon (2024), the London Marathon (2024), the Boston Marathon (2022), and the New York Marathon (2021).

The 33-year-old also won the 2021 Tokyo Olympics marathon gold, and she is the latest high-profile Kenyan marathoner to be suspended by the AIU for anti-doping violations.

Other marathoners who were also suspended for violating anti-doping rules include 2016 Olympic champion Jemimah Sumgong and 2019 world champion Ruth Chepngetich.