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KAK
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Kenya’s top cross country athelete faces sudden suspension, raising questions about her recent success and the state of the sport.
Two-time national cross-country champion Sheila Chelangat has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for the banned substance Erythropoietin (EPO).
Chelangat, 27, is accused of using the blood-boosting agent commonly employed by endurance athletes to enhance performance through increased red blood cell production.
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17:40 - 20.05.2025
BREAKING: Kenyan Marathoner Purity Changwony Slapped With 2-Year Ban for Doping Offense
Kenyan marathoner sanctioned for doping after testing positive for banned substances, resulting in disqualification of results and competitive suspension.
The AIU flagged the Rosa Associati-managed runner following a series of impressive performances across international races in early 2025.
“I can confirm that Sheila Chelangat has been provisionally suspended for the presence of a prohibited substance,” said an AIU spokesperson.
“She tested positive for EPO, and the case is now under review. She has the right to request analysis of her B sample.”
Rising Star Brought Down
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Chelangat’s case is particularly striking given her recent resurgence on the international stage. She finished second at the Istanbul Half Marathon on April 27 in Turkey, a race she had won in 2023.
Earlier this year, she claimed another silver medal at the Bank of China Hong Kong Half Marathon on January 5. Back home, Chelangat reclaimed the National Police Service Cross Country title on January 17 at the Ngong Racecourse, having last won it in 2020.
Born in Kericho County, Chelangat had shown promise from a young age. She captured bronze in the 3,000m at the 2015 World Under-18 Championships and placed sixth in the same event at the 2016 World Under-20 Championships.
Her standout moment came in 2017, finishing fourth at the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda.
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11:00 - 22.05.2025
Kenya Receives Major Boost For Stalled Stadia Projects Amid Ramped Up AFCON 2027 Preparations
Kenya is in a race against time to meet key deadlines for the co-hosting of AFCON 2027.
But her fall now adds to the growing list of Kenyan distance runners caught in doping scandals. Alarmingly, Chelangat is not the only member of her family entangled in controversy.
Her younger sister, 21-year-old Faith Chepkoech, was banned for three years in September 2024 after admitting to EPO use.
She tested positive following an out-of-competition test in Iten on July 26. During an AIU interview, Chepkoech confessed to being injected with a substance by a person she couldn’t identify.
A Pattern of Doping
Chelangat’s suspension also continues a troubling trend among Kenya’s top athletes.
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The men’s national cross country champions in 2020 and 2021—Kibiwott Kandie and Rogers Kwemoi—have both faced AIU action.
Kandie, a former half marathon world record holder, was provisionally suspended in March for failing to submit to a doping test, just after winning his fifth Kenya Defence Forces Cross Country title.
Kwemoi, the 2016 World Under-20 10,000m champion, received a six-year ban in May 2023 after irregularities were found in his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP). He was also stripped of all honors earned between 2016 and 2023 and ordered to repay prosecution costs.
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20:09 - 21.05.2025
Blow For Kenya In Construction of Stadium Earmarked For AFCON 2027
The stalled project is expected to compliment the main stadia of the AFCON 2027 showpiece.
The AIU’s crackdown appears to be gaining momentum. In the past month alone, four more Kenyan runners—Purity Changwony, Nehemiah Kipyegon, Brian Kipsang, and Emmanuel Kipchumba Kemboi—were suspended for various doping infractions, involving substances such as 19-Norandrosterone and Triamcinolone acetonide.
Chelangat’s case is still under review, and she has not yet responded publicly.
However, with Kenya’s athletics community reeling from an increasing number of doping scandals, many are calling for more robust anti-doping education and stricter oversight.
“We are deeply concerned,” said a senior official from Athletics Kenya.
“It’s clear that the current efforts are not enough. We need collective action—from managers, coaches, and even families—to protect the integrity of our sport.”
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