Kenyan Albert Korir has been banned for five years for violating anti-doping rules, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said.
In October 2025, three out-of-competition samples from a marathon runner were found to contain the banned substance CERA, which helps increase endurance and allows blood to transport more oxygen to the muscles.
The AIU's decision will disqualify all of Korir's results since October, including his “bronze” result at the New York Marathon last November.
The athlete pleaded guilty to violating anti-doping rules, which resulted in his suspension being reduced by one year. Korir's suspension will expire in January 2031.
It was in New York that Korir achieved the biggest victory of his career – in 2021 he won the main local marathon with a time of 2:08:22 hours and a 44-second lead over his closest pursuer.
In total, Korir won five New York Marathon medals: in addition to the gold, he finished second twice (2019 and 2023), and in the two previous seasons he finished the competition with bronze (2024 and 2025).