Stanchart Nairobi Marathon Champion Stripped of Title and Handed Six-Year Doping Ban

The 2024 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon winner has been stripped of his title and banned for six years after testing positive for a banned substance.

The Athletics Integrity Unit has banned Ronald Kimeli Kurgat for six years for the use of Triamcinolone acetonide, with his win at the 2024 Standard Chartered Marathon being disqualified.

His results at the 2024 Hainan Danzhou Marathon, where he finished third, have also been disqualified. This season, Ronald Kimeli Kurgat has yet to compete.

The Athletics Integrity Unit revealed that Kurgat presented his urine sample on October 27, 2024, the day he competed at the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon.

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Ronald Kimeli Kurgat’s sample was found to have Triamcinolone acetonide and the AIU noted that they reviewed the first sample and determined that the athlete did not have a Therapeutic Use Exemption (“TUE”) that had been granted.

"Therefore, on 4 December 2024, the AIU notified the Athlete of the First Adverse Analytical Finding in accordance with Article 5.1.2.1 of the ISRM, including that the Adverse Analytical Finding may result in Anti-Doping Rule Violations pursuant to Rule 2.1 ADR and/or Rule 2.2 ADR (the “First Anti-Doping Rule Violation”)," the AIU said in a statement.

AIU further stated that Ronald Kimeli Kurgat was informed of his rights, including the option to request a B Sample analysis, access laboratory documentation related to the first adverse analytical finding, and provide an explanation by December 11, 2024.

However, he failed to respond to the Notice of Allegation issued on December 4, 2024, by the stated deadline. On December 15, he submitted another in-competition urine sample at the Hainan Danzhou Marathon in China.

The AIU followed up with the athlete on December 18, 2024 and again on January 6, 2025, to extend the deadline for his response.

Additionally, on January 6, 2025, an AIU representative spoke with the athlete by phone to discuss the initial Notice of Allegation and his pending response.

“He was advised to respond by no later than 13 January 2025. On 9 January 2025, the WADA-accredited laboratory in Beijing, China, reported an Adverse Analytical Finding in the Second Sample for the presence of Triamcinolone acetonide (the “Second Adverse Analytical Finding”),” the AIU added.

The Athletics Integrity Unit added that the athlete had failed to respond to the Notice of Allegation, and they wrote to the athlete and further extended his deadline to respond until January 24, 2025.

Ronald Kimeli Kurgat did not respond to the Notice of Allegation issued on February 20, 2025 within the specified deadline. As a result, on March 6, 2025, the AIU informed the athlete that the deadline to submit a response had been extended to March 19, 2025.

“On 7 March 2025, following a request for assistance from the AIU, a representative of Athletics Kenya confirmed that they had spoken with the Athlete by phone and that he had said he would check his emails,” the AIU said.

Ronald Kimeli Kurgat Banned for Six Years

Kurgat failed to respond to either of the Notices of Allegation issued by the AIU, despite the extended deadline of March 19, 2025. Additionally, repeated attempts by an Athletics Kenya representative to contact him went unanswered.

Due to the absence of any explanation for the first and second findings, the AIU concluded that the athlete had committed both anti-doping rule violations.

The second violation was confirmed, as the sample collected on December 15, 2024, came after the athlete had been notified of the initial violation on December 4, 2024.

The AIU then charged Kurgat with two anti-doping rule violations. Kurgat was invited to respond by July 9, 2025, confirming how he wished to proceed and was informed that failure to respond would result in the waiver of his right to a hearing, admission of the violations, and acceptance of the proposed sanctions. However, he did not respond by the deadline.

As a result, AIU informed him that he was deemed to have accepted the violations and consequences. He was given until July 15, 2025, to submit a completed admission form if he wished to receive a one-year reduction in the sanction, failure to do so would result in a final decision imposing the full six-year ban.

“The AIU requested assistance from AK in contacting the Athlete directly in relation to the Charge and, on 14 July 2025, AK confirmed that all of their attempts to contact the Athlete by phone had been unanswered,” the AIU further stated.

Who is Ronald Kimeli Kurgat?

Ronald Kimeli Kurgat is a Kenyan road runner. The 39-year-old started his professional career in 2012, competing in road races and the Stanchart Nairobi Marathon, where he finished fourth.

He went undercover for two seasons, in 2016 and 2017, before making a comeback in 2018 and competing in two full marathons. Kurgat then took a break in 2020 and returned in 2024 before being slapped with a six-year doping ban.