Kenya's Esther Gitahi handed four-year ban after positive EPO test

26-year-old Kenyan middle-distance runner Esther Gitahi has been banned from athletics for four years after testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO), the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Monday.

The Disciplinary Tribunal ruled the ban retroactive to August 6, 2024, following the athlete’s adverse analytical finding and subsequent proceedings.

Gitahi’s positive result came from a urine sample she provided at the B.A.A. 5K in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 13, 2024. Laboratory analysis detected EPO, a substance that stimulates red blood cell production and can boost endurance, and is prohibited under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.

The AIU determined that she both possessed and used the substance, violating regulations.

The Disciplinary Tribunal has banned Esther Gitahi (Kenya) for 4 years from 6 August 2024 for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (EPO). DQ results from 1 July 2023

Details here: https://t.co/UN2QCGb145 pic.twitter.com/BhKjVCzeQR

— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) October 27, 2025

After the Adverse Analytical Finding was communicated on August 6, 2024, Gitahi faced provisional suspension. She waived the right to have the B-sample tested, and the hearing proceeded with the available evidence. Gitahi admitted to using injections but contended that she did not realise they contained a banned substance.

In her statement, Gitahi explained that the injections were prescribed to manage thalassemia, a blood disorder she suspected she had. She said she sought medical advice from a Kenyan clinic in 2022 after experiencing fatigue and joint pain. Reports indicate she self-administered eight doses over about 10 months, with the positive test arising after the second round in early 2024.

The four-year sanction ends in 2028, barring any potential appeals or procedural outcomes.