Ethiopian athletics was already facing growing scrutiny over doping after several of its athletes received suspensions in 2026, including prominent marathon runner Ruti Aga, who was handed a six-year ban on October 22. But just six days later, another setback came as 21-year-old marathoner Hunde Lechisa received a three-year suspension after testing positive for testosterone. And if that was not enough, three more Ethiopian athletes faced suspensions on October 29, bringing the number of new cases involving the country to four in just two days.

On October 29, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced an eight-year ban for middle-distance runner Mosisa Siyoum, along with four-month suspensions for marathoners Sofiya Shemsu Chegan and Gelaye Atinkut. While all three cases involved prohibited substances, the circumstances behind the violations differed.

Siyoum, who specializes in the 1,500 metres, received the lengthy ban after testing positive for erythropoietin. His urine sample was collected on February 21, 2026, in Toruń, Poland, while a blood sample was taken at the same location the following day. An accredited laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland, subsequently reported that the urine sample contained EPO.

However, the case did not end with the positive test. The AIU also charged Siyoum with tampering or attempted tampering with the doping-control process. During the investigation, he told officials that he had lost consciousness at home and was taken to a medical facility. He submitted documents that he claimed supported his explanation, but the AIU found inconsistencies in the paperwork. The healthcare provider’s name did not match the signature on the documents, while inquiries with the health centre indicated that Siyoum had not attended the facility on the date stated. The AIU also conducted two in-person interviews with the athlete.

Taking both the EPO violation and the tampering charge into account, the AIU imposed an eight-year suspension on Siyoum, effective May 5, 2026. He had already been listed among the AIU’s provisionally suspended athletes on October 1, following the issuance of a notice of charge.

The two other Ethiopian athletes, Chegan and Atinkut, received considerably shorter suspensions after testing positive for methylprednisolone. Both cases involved retroactive Therapeutic Use Exemptions. Although the athletes applied for and received permission to use the substance for medical reasons, they had taken it before their exemptions were approved.

Both athletes admitted the violation, allowing the AIU to reduce their potential four-year suspensions to just four months. Chegan’s ban began on August 27, 2026, while Atinkut also received a four-month suspension under similar circumstances. However, these latest sanctions came at a time when Ethiopian distance running was already under scrutiny following other high-profile doping cases.

Lechisa’s testosterone case follows six-year ban for Ruti Aga

Just a day before three October 29 announcements, 21-year-old marathoner Hunde Lechisa received a three-year suspension after testing positive for testosterone in a sample collected at the Hamburg Marathon on April 26, 2026. During the investigation, Lechisa told the AIU that he had visited a pharmacy in Addis Ababa in March to buy glucose. He explained that he had been feeling dizzy and suspected he might have anaemia, although he had not received a formal medical diagnosis.

According to his account, the pharmacist recommended an injectable medication and assured him that it would help his condition and leave his system within two weeks. Lechisa said he injected the medication between March 26 and 28. After being notified of the positive test, the young Ethiopian searched online for information and came to believe that the substance he had taken was testosterone. In a message to the AIU, he claimed he had been misled by a medical professional and asked for forgiveness.

However, his explanation did not prevent a sanction. After admitting the violation and accepting the consequences, he received a reduced three-year suspension, which began retroactively on August 17, 2026. His fourth-place finish in Hamburg and the personal best of 2:05:01 he recorded in the race were also disqualified.

Even before Lechisa’s case, Ethiopia had suffered another major setback involving one of its most prominent marathon runners, Ruti Aga. The former Tokyo Marathon champion tested positive for methylprednisolone after winning the Meishan Renshou Half Marathon in China on March 15, 2026. Aga maintained that the substance had been prescribed to treat a knee injury. However, the AIU’s investigation found that the clinic named on the prescription did not exist and that the document had been signed by a family member who was not a registered medical professional.

The AIU initially imposed a two-year suspension for the presence and use of the prohibited substance. It then added another four years after finding that Aga had provided false information and submitted a forged or manipulated prescription during the investigation. Her total ban was therefore extended to six years, beginning September 10, 2026. The case attracted particular attention because of Aga’s standing in the sport. She won the 2019 Tokyo Marathon and has also secured podium finishes at several major international marathons.

With four Ethiopian athletes sanctioned within just two days, the latest cases have added to the pressure on the country’s distance-running scene.