Welsh Marathon Runner Griffiths Banned by World Athletics AIU Following Positive Drug Test
A Great Britain and Wales marathon runner was banned by the World Athletics Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine following the Belfast City Marathon.
Josh Griffiths, 33, received a three-month ban from the World Athletics’ Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after Benzoylecgonine—compounds formed in the body as cocaine is processed—was detected in his system after the May Belfast City Marathon.
Griffiths, who qualified for the 2017 and 2022 World Championships representing Great Britain and raced for Wales at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, denied ever using cocaine or other social substances.
Although he could not prove the method of ingestion, the AIU ruled that any exposure was out of competition and unrelated to sport, imposing the ban.
The sanction, beginning 19 June 2026, also omitted his race results from the Belfast Marathon (3 May) and beyond until the ban concluded.
Griffiths accepted the anti-doping rule violation and the sanction.
Rising to prominence as the fastest British club marathoner in the 2017 London Marathon, Griffiths was selected for the GB squad for the World Championships and later finished eighth in 2021 after turning professional.
The AIU report noted that Griffiths stated it was impossible to explain the adverse finding and suggested a potential error.
Benzoylecgonine, found in the body when processing cocaine, appeared in his urine samples following the race.
During his hearing, Griffiths detailed his activities leading up to the 3 May race, confirming his stay at the official race hotel and asserting he did not attend social events or consume alcohol, limiting contact to fellow athletes and staff.
At a later hearing, he maintained he had never knowingly ingested cocaine and was unaware of anyone close using the drug prior to the Belfast race.
Griffiths submitted scientific data supporting his claim that any ingestion was out of competition, a position the AIU ultimately agreed with.