ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian marathon runner Ruti Aga, winner of the 2019 Tokyo Marathon, has been given a six-year ban for the presence or use of the prohibited substance methylprednisolone and tampering with evidence, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Thursday.
The AIU said Aga, 32, received a two-year ban after testing positive for methylprednisolone, a prohibited steroid that can reduce pain and fatigue and aid recovery, after winning a half marathon in China in March.
It added four years after finding she had misled investigators during an interview and submitted a fake prescription to justify her use of the substance.
Aga has been provisionally suspended since Sept 10 with the ban running from that date.
Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2026
