Kenyan long-distance runner, Olympic and world champion
Athletes face a late setback as Sawe withdraws from the BMW Berlin Marathon with an unspecified injury, while contenders in Sydney and London push toward potential records. The Berlin race remains a marquee event, with a women’s field led by Tigist Assefa and a reshaped men’s lineup after Sawe’s withdrawal.
Gobena has broken the Sydney Marathon course record with a 2:04:42 win, while Peres Jepchirchir sails to a women’s title in 2:18:31, as Sydney hosts its second World Marathon Major with 40,000 runners on a scenic Harbour Bridge course.
Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended after an out-of-competition sample collected in Kenya returned an adverse analytical finding for EPO. The Athletics Integrity Unit has opened an investigation; Jepchirchir’s Sydney Marathon win in August was affected. Kenya’s distance-running programme is facing intensified scrutiny ahead of the 2029 world championships in Nairobi.