Marathon runner Ruti Aga banned for six years after fake prescription

Ruti Aga, a 32-year-old Ethiopian marathon runner who won the Tokyo Marathon in 2019, has been banned from athletics for six years. She tried to explain a failed drug test with a prescription that did not hold up.

The positive test came after a half-marathon in China in March. Her sample showed methylprednisolone, a steroid that is banned in competition and can reduce pain. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the sport's independent anti-doping body, reported the positive test and the ban. It had already suspended her provisionally in September, which stops an athlete from competing while a case is decided.

Aga said a doctor in Ethiopia had given her the drug to treat knee pain. The prescription she produced, however, named a clinic that did not exist. It was also signed by a family member who was not a registered doctor.

The AIU charged her with using methylprednisolone and with tampering, which covers attempts to interfere with the doping process. She did not respond to the charges. The ban was therefore issued without a hearing. It has two parts: two years for the substance and four years for tampering, which together make six.

Aga has been one of the more visible names in the big city marathons. Her win in Tokyo came seven years ago, and she has also finished on the podium in Berlin and New York. Marathon runners often do their best work in their late twenties and thirties, so a six-year absence is a long gap in a career.

The case is a reminder of how the testing system treats an explanation. A medical reason can be raised in defence, but the AIU's charges show that the documents offered in support are checked.