Kibiwott Kandie (left) was suspended for a long time. © APA/afp / GLYN KIRK

Doping: Long ban for former world record holder from Kenya

Former world record holder in the half marathon, Kibiwott Kandie, has been banned for seven years for two violations of anti-doping rules.

June 25, 2026

From: dpa

According to the independent Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of the World Athletics Federation, the Kenyan refused to provide a sample and manipulated a doping control procedure.

Kandie had already been provisionally suspended in March 2025. The 30-year-old has since admitted to both violations. His sentence was therefore reduced from eight to seven years.

Still the third fastest runner in the half marathon

Kandie won the silver medal at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Poland. That same year in Valencia, he set a world record of 57:32 minutes over the same distance, a record that has since been broken several times.

Behind world record holder Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda and Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, he is still the third-fastest half-marathon runner in history. Kandie also won the Valencia Half Marathon in 2022 and 2023.