Kenyan marathon runner Kalalei handed four-year doping ban

Kalalei, 23, tested positive at April's Rotterdam marathon, where he finished seventh in a time of 2h 10min 44sec, a personal best.

A number of Kenyan athletes have been banned for doping in recent years. (Representational Image)

Kenyan marathon runner Samuel Kalalei was handed a four-year doping ban on Wednesday after testing positive for banned blood booster EPO, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced as the African powerhouse suffered another body blow.

Kalalei, 23, tested positive at April's Rotterdam marathon, where he finished seventh in a time of 2h 10min 44sec, a personal best. The 2017 Athens marathon winner had already been provisionally suspended in June.

READ: Adille Sumariwalla: 'Treatment of African athletes by Arab nations is like human trafficking'

A number of Kenyan athletes have been banned for doping in recent years, including the 2016 Rio Olympic women's marathon gold medallist Jemima Sumgong.

In September, Kenya was described as having a “serious problem” with doping by WADA, the world anti-doping agency.