New York City Marathon champion Benson Kipruto has spoken out following the three-year doping ban handed to his 24-year-old training partner, Esphond Cheruiyot. The young Kenyan athlete was banned for using the prohibited substance Trimetazidine, with the suspension taking effect from October 23, and all his results since September 21 being disqualified.
Cheruiyot had recently begun his professional running career in 2024, showing great potential after finishing third at the Movistar Madrid Medio Maratón and later replicating the same position at the Buenos Aires International Marathon earlier this year. However, both results have now been nullified following the ruling by the Athletics Integrity Unit.
Reacting to the development, Kipruto described the situation as “a bad image” for their training camp and for Kenyan athletics in general. He expressed disappointment and sadness over the incident, noting that it had affected not just him but the entire training group that has been advocating for clean sport.
Kipruto explained that Cheruiyot had obtained the banned medication independently, without the knowledge of their coaches or training partners. He suggested that as a young and inexperienced athlete, Cheruiyot may have been misled by external influences. Despite sympathizing with his situation, Kipruto emphasized that athletes must ultimately take responsibility for whatever substances they use.
He further revealed that the issue had shaken the morale within their training camp, which includes athletes like Sabastian Sawe, who have been working tirelessly to restore Kenya’s image in global athletics. Kipruto noted that the camp has been holding meetings to understand what went wrong and to prevent such cases from recurring.
According to him, Cheruiyot had only recently joined the camp, making it difficult for them to monitor his actions closely or identify potential risks. Kipruto said they suspect the young runner might have been influenced by people outside their training group, calling the entire situation unfortunate and regrettable.
He concluded by emphasizing the importance of continuous education and mentorship for young athletes. Kipruto urged all runners to remain vigilant, informed, and disciplined, warning that doping not only destroys individual careers but also taints the collective efforts of those fighting to keep athletics clean in Kenya and beyond.
