Rita Jeptoo

Rita Jeptoo (born 15 February 1981) is a Kenyan marathon runner. Originally a winner of the Boston Marathon three times, including setting the then course record at 2:18:57 in 2014, she had also won marathons in Chicago, Stockholm, and Milan, as well as having represented Kenya in the event at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics. She was the bronze medalist at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships.

Rita Jeptoo at the 2007 Boston Marathon
Jeptoo competing in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships
Jeptoo, running in the 2013 Boston Marathon, which she won, shown approaching the halfway point in Wellesley

Jeptoo tested positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test 25 September 2014.[1] Athletics Kenya handed her a two-year ban from sports for the anti-doping rule violation.[2][3][4] On 26 October 2016, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld an appeal from the IAAF against the leniency of the two-year ban given by Athletics Kenya, and instead set a four-year ban, and the annulling of all results from 17 April 2014, including her wins in the 2014 Boston and Chicago marathons, citing "her deceptive and obstructive conduct throughout the proceedings" as aggravating factors justifying the maximum penalty[5]

Career

Jeptoo won the 2004 Stockholm Marathon, her first marathon race,[6] and then took a consecutive victory at the Milan Marathon.[7] She finished third in the 2005 Turin Marathon and seventh at the 2005 World Championships.[8]

In 2006, she set a personal best time of 2:23:38 winning the Boston Marathon, she took the title at the Paris Half Marathon,[9] she won the bronze medal at the 2006 World Road Running Championships,[10] she was fourth at the New York City Marathon that same year. In 2007, she finished fourth in Boston, attempting to defend her title, and was quoted as saying, "I never felt good in the cold. I couldn't get my body in a rhythm."[11] She won the Lisbon Half Marathon that year, later going on to take seventh place in the marathon at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics. She ended her 2007 with a new course record at the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race, earning US$50,000 as a result.[12]

She won the Portugal Half Marathon in 2008. She was among the leading runners at the Boston and New York marathons that season, finishing third and fourth respectively.[13] She took time off from running for maternity leave from late 2008 onwards, returning to competition in 2011.[14] The Rotterdam Marathon was her return marathon outing and she came fifth with a time of 2:28:09 hours.[15] She ran her fastest marathon time since 2005 at the Frankfurt Marathon, taking fifth place after 2:25:44 hours.[16]

Returning to the site of her 2006 win, she came sixth at the 2012 Boston Marathon.[17] She came fourth at the Beach to Beacon 10K and Falmouth Road Race, but delivered her best performance in half a decade at the 2012 Chicago Marathon. A tight duel with Atsede Baysa in the latter stages of the race resulted in her narrowly finishing as runner-up, but her time of 2:22:04 hours knocked over a minute and half off her six-year-old personal best.[18]

The 2013 RAK Half Marathon was so fast that Jeptoo improved her best to 66:27 minutes—making her the fifth fastest ever—but left her in third place in the race.[19]

In 2013, she won both the Boston Marathon in a time of 2:26:25,[20] and the Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:19:57 (personal best).[21]

Jeptoo defended her Boston Marathon title in 2014, winning with a time of 2:18:57 and setting a new course record.[22]

Doping case

Jeptoo defended her Chicago Marathon title in 2014, winning with a time of 2:24:35. However, she had a positive doping test in her "A" sample, given in Kenya two weeks before the race. Her agent Federico Rosa, a prominent name in elite marathon running, confirmed the fact but refused to reveal the responsible substance.[23][24][25][26]

It was later revealed that the prohibited substance was EPO, and she was banned for two years by Athletics Kenya.[2][3][4]

On 21 April 2015, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced it had received two separate appeals pertaining to the ban. One, from Jeptoo, asked that the challenged decision be set aside, and the two-year suspension be lifted. The second was from the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), who requested that Jeptoo's ban be increased to four years, due to "..aggravating circumstances which it argues warrant an extended period of ineligibility."[27]

On 26 October 2016, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld an appeal from the IAAF against the leniency of the two-year ban given by Athletics Kenya, and instead set a four-year ban, and the annulling of all results from 17 April 2016, including her wins in the 2014 Boston and Chicago marathons, citing "her deceptive and obstructive conduct throughout the proceedings" as aggravating factors justifying the maximum penalty[5]

Personal life

She is married to Noah Busienei, a middle distance runner.[28]

Achievements
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  Kenya
2004 Stockholm Marathon Stockholm, Sweden 1st Marathon 2:35:14
Milan Marathon Milan, Italy 1st Marathon 2:28:11
2005 World Championships Helsinki, Finland 7th Marathon 2:24:22
2006 Paris Half Marathon Paris, France 1st Half marathon 1:09:56
Boston Marathon Boston, United States 1st Marathon 2:23:38
2007 Lisbon Half Marathon Lisbon, Portugal 1st Half marathon 1:07:05
2013 Boston Marathon Boston, United States 1st Marathon 2:26:25
Chicago Marathon Chicago, United States 1st Marathon 2:19:57
2014 Boston Marathon Boston, United States DSQ (1st) Marathon 2:18:57 (CR)
Chicago Marathon Chicago, United States DSQ (1st) Marathon 2:24:35

References
  1. "Rita Jeptoo tested positive for EPO". ESPN. Associated Press. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  2. Kevin Kaduk: Marathon champ Rita Jeptoo receives two-year ban for positive drug test, 30 January 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  3. "Athletes currently suspended from all competitions in athletics following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation as at: 06.03.15". IAAF. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  4. "IAAF News Issue 160, 24 February 2015". IAAF. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  5. IAAF appeal upheld - Rita Jeptoo suspended for four years by the court of arbitration for sport (CAS)
  6. Stockholm Marathon History 2004–2006 accessed 10 August 2007
  7. Milan City Marathon 2004 Archived 5 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 10 August 2007
  8. Turin Marathon History Archived 11 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 10 August 2007.
  9. "untitled". www.arrs.run. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  10. Athlete profile for Rita Jeptoo Sitienei Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  11. Runner's World article by Toby Tanser – Russian Woman wins Boston Archived 8 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Runner's World Retrieved 10 August 2007.
  12. Hughes, Danny (24 November 2007). "Jeptoo, Awash cruise to Obudu Mountain victories". IAAF. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  13. Jeptoo Sitienei Rita. Marathon Info. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  14. Mutuota, Mutwiri (5 February 2011). "Mwangi and Lisoreng take Police XC titles". IAAF. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  15. van Hemert, Wim (10 April 2011). "Chebet impresses with 2:05:27 victory in Rotterdam". IAAF. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  16. Butcher, Pat (30 October 2012). "Kipsang tantalises with 2:03:42 World record assault in Frankfurt". IAAF. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  17. Morse, Parker (16 April 2012). "Korir and Cherop the best as warm weather slows Boston". IAAF. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  18. Gugala, Jon (7 October 2012). "Course record for Kebede, Baysa dethrones Shobukhova – Chicago Marathon report". IAAF. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  19. "Kabuu and Kipsang triumph in high-quality races at Ras al-Khaimah Half". IAAF. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  20. "Desisa and Jeptoo will defend their Boston Marathon titles". IAAF. 13 December 2013.
  21. "Kimetto smashes course record, Jeptoo cracks 2:20 in Chicago". IAAF. 13 October 2013.
  22. Fantz, Ashley (21 April 2014). "A year later, Boston Marathon runners race again". Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  23. Rita Jeptoo: Kenyan marathon runner fails doping test. BBC Sport (31 October 2014). Retrieved on 2 November 2014.
  24. Pilon, Mary & Logman, Jere (31 October 2014). Rita Jeptoo, Kenyan Marathon Champion, Fails Preliminary Doping Test. New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  25. Agent: Boston Marathon winner Rita Jeptoo failed doping test. USA Today (31 October 2014). Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  26. Pepin, Matt (31 October 2014). Boston Marathon women’s champ Rita Jeptoo failed drug test. Boston Globe. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  27. "Jeptoo facing increased doping ban". Daily Nation Kenya. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015. The Court in its statement announced that both appeals were currently in progress, with no decision date given.
  28. Boston Marathon Runner Profile – Rita Jeptoo Retrieved 10 August 2007
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