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 Eldoret, Kenya [1][2] |
| 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
editHe 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.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
He qualified to represent Kenya at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[7] 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.[8]
Doping violation and competition ban
editOn 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.[9] On June 12, 2024, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced an additional charge against Cherono of tampering with the anti-doping process.[10]
Following a two-year investigation during which Cherono denied the allegations, nevertheless in July 2024, Lawrence Cherono admitted to breaching three anti-doping regulations.[11] He received a four-year ban for the use and presence of Trimetazidine and a four-year ban for tampering with the rules.[12] 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.[13][14]
International competitions
edit| 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 |
World Marathon Majors Record
edit| World Marathon Majors | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Marathon | - | - |
| Boston Marathon | - | 1st |
| London Marathon | 7th | - |
| Berlin Marathon | - | - |
| Chicago Marathon | - | 1st |
| New York City Marathon | - | - |
References
edit- ^ "Lawrence Cherono boosts children’s home, says he misses group runs". 'www.nation.co.ke'. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ "Lawrence Cherono wins Boston Marathon men’s race". 'www.bostonherald.com'. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ "Marathon - men - senior - outdoor". Worldathletics.Org. 19 September 2021.
- ^ "Cherono clocks 2:04:06 Dutch all-comers record in Amsterdam| News | iaaf.org". www.iaaf.org. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
- ^ "Degefa dominates, Cherono outsprints Desisa in Boston | News | iaaf.org". www.iaaf.org. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
- ^ Lawrence CHERONO | Profile | World Athletics. (2021). Worldathletics.Org. https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/lawrence-cherono-14687675
- ^ Olobulu, Timothy (2021-06-19). "Conseslus, Timothy Cheruiyot out as Kenya names team for Tokyo Olympics". Capital Sports. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
- ^ "Athletics CHERONO Lawrence - Tokyo 2020 Olympics". Olympics.Com. 6 September 2021.
- ^ "Kenya's Cherono, American Ross provisionally suspended, to miss worlds". Reuters. 16 July 2022.
- ^ "Provisional Suspensions in Force". Athletics Integrity Unit. 16 July 2022.
- ^ "Decision of the Athletics Integrity Unit in the case of Mr Lawrence Cherono" (PDF). Athletics Integrity Unit. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "Marathon runner Cherono given seven-year doping ban". BBC News. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "Former Boston and Chicago marathon winner Lawrence Cherono banned for doping and fake documents". AP News. 10 July 2024.
- ^ Adams, Tim (19 July 2024). "Lawrence Cherono banned for seven years for doping and tampering". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
