Former U.S. Champion in the 1500 Meters Receives 3-Year Ban for Doping

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced on Monday that middle-distance runner Jonah Koech has been suspended from the sport for three years after the organization found “highly atypical” blood values it determined were caused by doping.The organization found abnormalities in Koech’s Athlete Biological Passport, a set of biomarkers that are measured over time and monitored for changes that can’t be explained by natural processes.Koech, 29, has not competed since the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last September, where he took 13th in the 1500-meter final.Koech turned heads earlier in the summer at the U.S. Outdoor Championships, where he was the surprise winner in the 1500, holding off Ethan Strand, 2024 Olympic gold medalist Cole Hocker, and Hobbs Kessler. Koech’s winning time of 3:30.17 was a meet record.After the race, Koech said he was running at just 75 percent health because of a hamstring issue.Originally born in Kenya, Koech competed collegiately at UTEP and Texas Tech from 2015 to 2019 and became eligible to represent the U.S. in June 2021.Entering the 2025 season, Koech was considered to be more of an 800-meter specialist, qualifying for the U.S. World Championships team in 2022. But at the Rabat Diamond League in May 2025, he had a breakout race in the 1500 meters, knocking nearly six seconds off his personal best to win in 3:31.43.Christian Petersen//Getty ImagesKoech’s national title in the 1500 meters from the 2025 USATF Championships will be vacated.Koech will be ineligible for three years, beginning July 17, 2026, meaning he will miss a chance to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He will be disqualified from any events from July 30, 2025 and on, meaning his national title in the 1500 meters will be vacated. Ethan Strand is expected to be bumped up to U.S. champion, Hocker will move to second, and Hobbs Kessler, who missed out on a World Championships spot by finishing fourth, will be elevated to the podium. Koech must also forfeit any prize money he earned during that period.Because Koech admitted to violating anti-doping policy and accepted the sanction within 20 days of being notified, he was eligible for a one-year reduction, reducing a potential four-year ban to three years.According to USADA, Koech was tested on July 30 and August 8 of last year, and the results “demonstrated values consistent with blood doping, as confirmed by unanimous expert evaluation of Koech’s blood profile.” His biological passport was monitored in the following months, and a formal Adverse Passport Finding was reported in February 2026.In a press release, Travis Tygart, the CEO of USADA, emphasized the importance of monitoring an athlete’s biological passport.“This case is proof that the Athlete Biological Passport can both deter and detect doping,” he said. “To ensure a fair playing field, every anti-doping organization needs this tool and the resources to use it effectively.”Theo Kahler is the senior news editor at Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:37 in the half marathon, and finished 40th at the 2025 New York City Marathon. He enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)