Kenya's Albert Korir banned 5 years for doping after beating Rory Linkletter at 2025 Ottawa Marathon

Albert Korir of Kenya, the 2021 New York Marathon winner, was banned five years after he admitted doping, track and field investigators said Monday.

Korir tested positive for the blood-boosting substance CERA, a modern version of EPO, in three different samples taken in Kenya last October while he was training to run in New York.

The Athletics Integrity Unit said in its verdict all his results since October will be disqualified, including his third-place finish in New York last November.

The three positive tests "constitutes clear evidence of the athlete's use of ‘a prohibited substance on multiple occasions’ which is expressly identified in the definition of aggravating circumstances," the verdict stated.

The 32-year-old Korir's ban expires in January 2031. The ban was shortened by one year because he admitted his doping without requesting a hearing, the verdict said.

Korir will be allowed to keep his 2021 New York title. He also finished runner-up in 2019 and 2023, and third in 2024.

Britain's Josh Kerr will attempt to break Hicham El Guerrouj's world record in the mile in front of a home crowd ‌at the London Diamond League meet in July.

Kerr, who won the 3,000-metre title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships ​in Poland last week, has ​a best of 3:45.34 in the mile, over two seconds slower than El ​Guerrouj's mark of 3:43.13 set in 1999.

"It's ⁠been a ⁠huge goal of ‌my career. It's one of the oldest world records on the track and I think it's one of the most important ⁠ones," Kerr, 28, told the BBC in an interview published on Saturday.

"It has stood the test of ‌time and needs a huge amount of respect.

"With the training numbers that we're putting up, I think this year is such ​a great opportunity to