The Athletics Integrity Unit has banned former half marathon world record holder Kibiwott Kandie for seven years after he admitted to two anti-doping rule violations.
The Athletics Integrity Unit announced the ban on June 25, 2026. Kandie, aged 30, refused to submit to a doping test on March 1, 2025, and tampered with the doping control process during an out-of-competition test at his home in Kenya. He signed the electronic Doping Control Form but delayed the process with phone calls before leaving to attend to a construction site in Eldoret.
Kandie initially faced an eight-year ban but received a one-year reduction after admitting guilt early. His ineligibility runs from March 14, 2025, to March 13, 2032. The AIU charged him on May 6, 2026, and he accepted the sanction without contest. Investigators found 11 money transfers to a nurse and confirmed a submitted certificate from the National Environment Management Authority was fake.
Kandie set the half marathon world record of 57 minutes and 32 seconds in Valencia in 2020. He also won bronze at the Commonwealth Games and remains the third fastest performer in history over the distance.