Athletes have condemned the doping menace in the country as a disease that needs to be treated as fast as possible to avoid spreading to others who are clean.
Speaking during the anti-doping crusade in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, top athletes said they need to end the menace as they campaigned for integrity, honest and fair-play in sports especially athletics.
Four time New York City marathon champion Marty Keitany said the disease should be treated because they live with them.
“Athletics is special in our lives and preaching against doping, is a disease that lives in us as athletes. I want to warn athletes that if you are in this forum and the following day you are found doping, that will be disaster,” said the three time London marathon champion.
The same was said by two time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat said she is one of the oldest athletes in the country, who has managed to keep her name clean since 1996 to date.
“I started running way back in 1996 when some of you were not yet born but right now, my graph remains good unlike some people that we started running together. My name is bigger in athletics and I can’t allow such small thing to destroy my future. I want to retire as a clean runner,” added the former London marathon champion.
Former world marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang noted that s ome athletes are found to have doped either knowingly or unknowingly.
Kipsang urged athletics Kenya and ADAK to give statistics on how some of the banned athletes and give more information on how they ended up in the situation.
“ADAK should provide us with documentation on how some of these athletes were found to have banned. For those who have doped and they deny, it is wrong. How can you githeri be found in your stomach yet you claim you did not eat lunch? We should be genuine to ourselves and stop misleading young people,” said the former Olympic marathon bronze medalist.