Report: Rita Jeptoo tests positive

ByABC News
October 31, 2014, 11:48 AM

— -- LONDON -- The World Marathon Majors series says it has postponed Sunday's awards ceremony because of reports that Kenyan runner Rita Jeptoo has tested positive for doping.

The series says "no athlete can win the World Marathon Majors Series title who has been in breach of IAAF anti-doping rules."

According to a report on the website RunBlogRun, the 33-year-old Jeptoo tested positive in an out-of-competition test in September, a few weeks before winning her second straight Chicago Marathon title. Jeptoo has also won the past two Boston Marathons. She was scheduled to receive her $500,000 prize for winning the World Marathon Majors this weekend in New York.

Jeptoo's coach Claudio Berardelli met with reporters at the New York City Marathon expo and said he knows that 99 percent of his athletes are clean.

"I'm still a little bit shocked about Rita," Berardelli said.

The IAAF has not yet made an announcement on the case.

Jeptoo tested positive for EPO, according to an Athletics Kenya official. Jeptoo has denied ever taking a banned substance.

ESPN.com contributor Christopher Chavez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.