Lawrence Cherono
Kenyan long-distance runner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lawrence Cherono (born August 7, 1988) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He is currently the 8th fastest marathon performer of all time with his 2:03:04 clocking at the 2020 Valencia Marathon.[3] Cherono is a past winner of both the Boston and Chicago marathons.
Cherono running the Amsterdam Marathon in 2017 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 August 1988 |
| Sport | |
| Country | Kenya |
Event(s) | Marathon, half marathon |
In 2024, Cherono received a seven year competition ban backdated to 2022 following an admission of breaching anti-doping rules.
Career
He clocked 2:09:39 to win the Honolulu Marathon on December 11, 2016. [4]
He clocked 2:04:06 to win the Amsterdam Marathon on October 21, 2018. He also won the Amsterdam Marathon in 2017, running a time of 2:05:09, setting the course record, which he broke in 2018.[5]
On 15 April 2019, Cherono won the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:07:57. He out-sprinted two-time Boston winner and World Championship Silver medalist Lelisa Desisa on the final block of Boylston Street.[6]
On 13 October 2019, Cherono won the 2019 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:05:45. He out-kicked three other runners in the final 200 meters to win the race. In 2020 Cherono raced the Valencia Marathon, where he placed 2nd in a new personal best time of 2:03:04.[7]
He qualified to represent Kenya at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[8] At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games men's marathon Cherono placed 4th getting out sprinted by Abdi Nageeye and Bashir Abdi, while Eliud Kipchoge won.[9]
Doping violation and competition ban
On July 16, 2022, Cherono was suspended from major marathons after testing positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication listed on the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List as a metabolic modulator and performance-enhancing drug.[10] On June 12, 2024, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced an additional charge against Cherono of tampering with the anti-doping process.[11]
Following a two-year investigation during which Cherono denied the allegations, nevertheless in July 2024, Lawrence Cherono admitted to breaching three anti-doping regulations.[12] He received a four-year ban for the use and presence of Trimetazidine and a four-year ban for tampering with the rules.[13] The combined eight-year ban was reduced to seven years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) due to his early admission and acceptance of the sanction.[14][15]
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Alger Marathon | Algiers, Algeria | 2nd | 2:10:16 |
| 2015 | Seville Marathon | Seville, Spain | 1st | 2:09:39 |
| Lanzhou International Marathon | Lanzhou, China | 2nd | 2:12:33 | |
| Shanghai Marathon | Shanghai, China | 7th | 2:14:22 | |
| 2016 | Hong Kong Marathon | Hong Kong, China | 2nd | 2:12:14 |
| Prague Marathon | Prague, Czech Republic | 1st | 2:07:24 | |
| Hengshui Lake International Marathon | Hengshui, China | 2nd | 2:11:14 | |
| Honolulu Marathon | Honolulu, United States | 1st | 2:09:39 | |
| 2017 | Rotterdam Marathon | Rotterdam, The Netherlands | 2nd | 2:06:21 |
| Amsterdam Marathon | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | 1st | 2:05:09 | |
| Honolulu Marathon | Honolulu, United States | 1st | 2:08:27 CR | |
| 2018 | London Marathon | London, Great Britain | 7th | 2:09:25 |
| Amsterdam Marathon | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | 1st | 2:04:06 CR | |
| 2019 | Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | 1st | 2:07:57 |
| Chicago Marathon | Chicago, United States | 1st | 2:05:45 | |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Sapporo, Japan | 4th | 2:10:02 |
| 2021 | Valencia Marathon | Valencia, Spain | 1st | 2:05:12 |
