Berhane Tesfay, the winner of the Copenhagen Marathon in May, has been suspended from athletics after testing positive for doping. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the disciplinary body for athletics, has provisionally suspended the long-distance runner pending the completion of investigations.

The doping test that Tesfay submitted revealed traces of Erythropoietin (EPO), a banned substance. The 38-year-old Eritrean runner is now banned from competition while the investigation proceeds.

Tesfay’s victory at the Copenhagen Marathon saw him clock a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 25 seconds over the 42.195-kilometer course. This was 44 seconds faster than the runner-up.

Kristian Friis, the elite manager of the Copenhagen Marathon, expressed his disappointment. He emphasized the desire for a clean and fair race in Copenhagen for all participants.

In addition to his Copenhagen Marathon win, Tesfay also won the Mumbai Marathon in India. He has also competed in the Olympics.