Kenyan marathon runner Titus Ekiru has been banned for 10 years for doping and tampering with evidence, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced on Monday.

Ekiru tested positive for the substance triamcinolone acetonide after winning the Milan Marathon in May 2021 with a time of 2:02:57, making him the seventh-fastest marathon runner in the world at the time.

The AIU also found that Ekiru had colluded with a high-ranking doctor at a Kenyan hospital to falsify medical records in an attempt to explain his positive test.

The ban is effective from June 28, 2022, the date of Ekiru’s provisional suspension, and will run until June 27, 2032. Ekiru’s results from May 16, 2021, onwards have been annulled and he must forfeit all race prizes and associated earnings.

Ekiru was one of the most promising marathon runners in the world. He had finished fifth in the 2021 Olympic Marathon and was considered a favorite to win a medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.