LOS ANGELES: Kenyan-born American runner Jonah Koech has accepted a three-year ban for blood doping and been stripped of his 2025 US 1,500-meter title, the US Anti-Doping Agency announced on Monday.
Koech, 29, was found to have used a prohibited substance after an adverse finding due to highly atypical blood values compared to his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) were identified as being caused by blood doping.
“This case is proof that the Athlete Biological Passport can both deter and detect doping,” US Anti-Doping Agency chief executive officer Travis T. Tygart said. “To ensure a fair playing field, every anti-doping organization needs this tool and the resources to use it effectively.”
Koech won the US 1,500m outdoor crown last October at Eugene, Oregon, in a personal best of 3mins 30.17 secs to qualify for the 2025 Tokyo World Championships.
His 13th-place finish at the 2025 worlds in the 1,500 has also been stripped.
All results for Koech after July 30, 2025, when the first abnormal sample was collected have been disqualified and his suspension was started on July 17, 2026.
Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2026