Sports · Running & Athletics · 1 hr ago
Josh Griffiths served three-month ban after cocaine metabolite found
British marathoner Josh Griffiths received a three-month ban after a cocaine metabolite was found in his sample from the Belfast City Marathon.
The sample was taken after he finished fourth in the race on May 3.
Griffiths said he had never used cocaine and could not explain how it entered his system, but accepted the anti-doping violation.
The Athletics Integrity Unit concluded the cocaine was likely taken out of competition and was unrelated to his sports performance.
Cocaine is prohibited in competition, and the finding that the exposure happened before the race meant the rules allowed a shorter ban.
His Belfast result was disqualified, and his ban ran from June to September, so he has already served it.
The World Anti-Doping Agency and UK Anti-Doping can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
British marathoner Josh Griffiths received a three-month ban after a cocaine metabolite was found in a sample taken after the Belfast City Marathon on May 3, 2026.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) accepted that the cocaine was ingested out of competition and was unrelated to sporting performance.
Griffiths said he had never used cocaine and attributed the finding to inadvertent contamination, but did not establish how the substance entered his system.
He accepted the anti-doping violation and agreed to the sanction without a hearing.
His Belfast result was disqualified; the reports differ on whether the ban ended on September 18 or September 19.
- Who
- Josh Griffiths, a 33-year-old British marathoner.
- What
- He received a three-month ban after benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, was found in his sample.
- When
- The sample was taken on May 3, 2026. The ban began on June 19 and ended on September 18 or 19, according to the reports.
- Where
- The Phoenix Energy Belfast City Marathon in Belfast.
- Why
- The AIU found the prohibited substance in his sample but accepted that any cocaine ingestion was out of competition and unrelated to sport performance.
Josh Griffiths
Athletics Integrity Unit
Cause of the finding
Josh Griffiths
Griffiths attributed it to inadvertent environmental contamination and said he had never used cocaine.
Athletics Integrity Unit
The AIU said he had not established how the substance entered his system, but found the evidence supported out-of-competition ingestion.
Griffiths finished fourth at the Belfast City Marathon and provided the sample that later tested positive for benzoylecgonine.
Griffiths was notified of the adverse finding and began serving a provisional suspension.
His B sample confirmed the result, according to Athletics Weekly.
The AIU announced the three-month ban and disqualification of his Belfast result.
- Athlete
- Josh Griffiths, 33
- Substance
- Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine
- Race
- Phoenix Energy Belfast City Marathon
- Sample date
- May 3, 2026
- Suspension
- Three months, beginning June 19, 2026
- Belfast result
- Fourth place, later disqualified
3 sources
What people are saying
absolutely impossible, and there must have been a mistake.
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The AIU has banned Joshua Griffiths (Great Britain) for 3 months from 19 June 2026 for Presence of a Prohibited Substance (Benzoylecgonine). DQ results from 3 May 2026. Details here: https://t.co/vzJPDdCuRq