On March 15, 2026, Ethiopian marathon runner Ruti Aga secured a big victory by winning the Meishan Renshou Half Marathon in China in 1:08:04. However, a sample collected during the race later tested positive for methylprednisolone. Aga attributed the positive result to medication she had received in Ethiopia to treat a knee injury and submitted a medical prescription to support her explanation. But the document became the center of an investigation that ultimately led to a six-year ban after officials determined that it was forged.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced the suspension on October 22, imposing two years for the prohibited substance violation and an additional four years for tampering with the anti-doping investigation. Investigators found that the clinic named on the prescription did not exist and that the person who supposedly issued it was a family member without medical registration. The decision was recorded on October 20, and Aga’s suspension took effect on September 10, 2026.

The investigation uncovered further problems when officials questioned the family member about the prescription. The individual reportedly said they had used an old prescription pad from a former workplace to issue the document. However, the clinic associated with that workplace told investigators that the person had never worked there and that the prescription pad did not belong to the facility. With support from the Ethiopian Anti-Doping Authority, the AIU concluded that the document was forged.

The prescription was not the only issue examined during the investigation. During an interview with the AIU on April 21, 2026, Aga reportedly provided false information. She submitted the disputed prescription on May 4, prompting investigators to examine both her statements and the document. The AIU treated these findings as grounds for a separate tampering violation, which added four years to her suspension.

According to published reports, Aga did not respond to the charges before the deadline, and the AIU issued its decision without a hearing. And now, her results from September 10, 2026, onward have been disqualified, although the decision remains appealable. Before the case, Aga had established herself as one of Ethiopia’s leading marathon runners.

A look back at Ruti Aga’s rise in international Marathon running

Ruti Aga began her marathon journey as a pacemaker at the 2016 Osaka Marathon before making her competitive debut over the distance at the Vienna City Marathon, where she finished second in 2:25:27. Later that year, she secured third place at the Berlin Marathon, marking an early breakthrough in her career. She continued to build her reputation in 2017, finishing second in Berlin in 2:20:41.

In 2018, she placed second at both the Tokyo and Berlin marathons, setting a personal best of 2:18:34 in Berlin. She also won the Houston Half Marathon that year in 1:06:39. Aga reached a major milestone in March 2019 when she won the Tokyo Marathon in 2:20:40, claiming her first marathon title. She later finished third at the New York City Marathon, adding another podium finish at a major international race.

Her success continued in the following years, as she recorded a marathon personal best of 2:18:09 in 2023, won the Daegu Marathon in 2024, and finished second at the Sydney Marathon that year. In 2025, she won the Xiamen Marathon in a course-record time of 2:18:46 and returned in January 2026 to defend her title in 2:22:45. These performances established Aga as a consistent contender on the international marathon circuit before her six-year suspension was announced in October 2026. Her suspension now threatens to keep her away from competition until September 2032, when she would be 38.