Josh Griffiths banned for three months over cocaine metabolite — image accompanying Athletics Weekly's report. Image accompanying Athletics Weekly’s report; reduced and presented for news commentary with the attributed report. View the complete source report.
Josh Griffiths, a prominent British marathoner, received a three-month ban from Athletics Integrity Unit. The ban followed a positive test for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, after the Belfast Marathon. Griffiths, who finished fourth, denies using cocaine and claims contamination.
Griffiths' ban ran from June 19 to September 18, disqualifying his results from May 3. He accepted the violation and agreed to the sanction without a hearing. The AIU accepted his claim that the ingestion occurred out of competition. Read more racing coverage.
Griffiths rose to prominence at the 2017 London Marathon, finishing as the fastest British runner. He has represented Great Britain in multiple international competitions, including the World Championships and Commonwealth Games. Related: Russian Marathoner Claims Record in Jeans at Porto Marathon.
This original Runner World brief is based on reporting from Athletics Weekly. Visit the source for its complete reporting, context and any later corrections.
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What should runners know about Josh Griffiths banned for three months over cocaine metabolite?
Top British marathoner Josh Griffiths banned after testing positive for cocaine metabolite. Josh Griffiths, a prominent British marathoner, received a three-month ban from Athletics Integrity Unit. The ban followed a positive test for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, after the Belfast Marathon. Griffiths, who finished fourth, denies using cocaine and claims contamination.
When did Runner World publish this racing brief?
Runner World published this brief on November 11, 2026. The underlying Athletics Weekly report was dated November 11, 2026.
Where can readers find the complete original report?
This summary is based on reporting from Athletics Weekly. The attributed source link in the article leads to the publisher’s complete report.
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