Albert Korir provisionally suspended after positive test

The Kenyan secured the final podium spot ahead of Great Britain’s Patrick Dever at last year’s New York City Marathon.

Albert Korir, the 2021 New York City Marathon champion, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit.

The 31-year-old Keyan, who has made the podium over 26.2 miles on five occasions in the Big Apple, tested positive for the prohibited substance CERA.

CERA is an acronym for Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator and it is a third-generation of Erythropoietin (EPO).

It’s banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency because it enhances athletic performance by increasing red blood cell production, which improves the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity and endurance.

CERA gained global attention after advancements in anti-doping science enabled laboratories to detect it through sophisticated blood analysis techniques.

A trio of cyclists – Riccardo Ricco, Moises Duenas and Manuel Beltran – tested positive for the substance at the 2008 Tour De France.

Korir is a marathon specialist and has competed in 20 races over 26.2 miles, winning six of them and making 15 podiums.

His biggest victory came at the 2021 New York City Marathon, where Korir ran 2:08:22 and finished just a minute ahead of Morocco’s Mohamed El Araby.

Korir has also made the New York City podium on four other occasions. He set his personal best of 2:06:57 at the 2023 edition, placing only behind reigning Olympic marathon champion Tamirat Tola.

He most recently finished third last year, edging out Britain’s Patrick Dever by just one second in the Big Apple.

Korir won last year’s Ottawa Marathon in 2:08:22 and has other victories in Vienna and Houston.