2014 Boston Marathon Winner Rita Jeptoo Fails Doping Test

Three-time Boston Marathon winner and two-time Chicago winner Rita Jeptoo has failed a drug test, according to multiple reports. 

According to The Associated Press, via The New York Times, "The marathon runner Rita Jeptoo’s B sample tested positive, Kenya’s athletics federation said Friday, confirming an earlier test that found traces of a banned performance-enhancer."

Jeptoo had requested a second test after failing the first, according to Reuters. Per the Times report, Kenya’s athletics federation will give her a hearing in January.   

Kenya has recently come under intense scrutiny from the World Anti-Doping Agency. The president of Athletics Kenya, Isaiah Kiplagat, told the Associated Press on Friday, via Fox News, that the federation has either banned or suspended 32 athletes in the past five years. However, he also noted such a number was far lower than the number of bans levied by countries like Russia and China.

That won't be much consolation for the participants who have fallen short to runners like Jeptoo over the years. And it certainly won't be much consolation to fans of the sport who have looked up to Jeptoo, one of the world's top distance runners, throughout her career.