Ruti Aga, one of the world’s leading marathon runners, has received a six-year ban after anti-doping investigators uncovered that she submitted a fake prescription in an attempt to explain a failed drug test.

The Ethiopian athlete, who clinched victory at the Tokyo Marathon in 2019 and has stood on the podium at both the Berlin and New York Marathons, tested positive for the banned substance methylprednisolone following her win at a half-marathon in China in March. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) revealed the findings on Thursday.

Aga claimed that a doctor in Ethiopia prescribed the substance to her for knee pain. However, the AIU discovered that the clinic mentioned in the prescription did not exist, and the document was signed by a family member who was not a registered doctor.

In addition to the issues surrounding the prescription, Aga failed to respond to charges regarding her use of methylprednisolone and “tampering” with the anti-doping process. Consequently, the AIU issued the six-year ban without a hearing. The ban consists of two years for the substance's use and an additional four years for tampering with the investigation.