Runner Jonah Koech accepted a three-year suspension and was stripped of his 2025 U.S. 1500m title after his biological passport showed “highly atypical blood values” that were identified as being caused by blood doping, according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
An athlete’s biological passport tracks their blood values over time to monitor for possible signs of doping, even if they never fail a drug test.
Koech’s case resulted from samples taken on July 30, 2025, and Aug. 8, 2025 — before and after he won the U.S. 1500m title on Aug. 2, 2025.
Those samples “demonstrated values consistent with blood doping, as confirmed by unanimous expert evaluation of Koech’s blood profile,” according to USADA.
More blood samples were collected for additional data for Koech’s biological passport. A biological passport expert panel reported the adverse passport finding to USADA this past February.
Koech, for admitting the violation and accepting the sanction within 20 days of notification, received one-year reduction on what would have otherwise been a ban of four years.
His ban began this past July 17, the date a provisional suspension was imposed, and will run until July 2029. All of Koech’s results since July 30, 2025, have been disqualified.
Ethan Strand was runner-up to Koech in the 2025 U.S. 1500m final and could be upgraded to national champion.
Koech last raced on Sept. 17, 2025, placing 13th in the World Championships 1500m final, a result that is now disqualified.
