Former marathon world No.1 Lawrence Cherono has been banned from seven years after admitting to three anti-doping rule violations.

The sentence was handed down to the Kenyan by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Wednesday.

In May 2022, Cherono tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine and was provisionally banned on July 16 of the same year. The current ban runs from this date.

According to the AIU, the two time major marathon winner and 12th fastest marathon runner of all time initially stated that he had accidentally received an antibiotic and an injection from a doctor containing an unknown substance for stomach problems.

He then accused training colleagues of being "jealous of his success" and responsible for the positive test.

However, in a subsequent written statement, Cherono said he had been inadvertently given trimetazidine in the form of Carvidon tablets by his wife - instead of the painkillers he had requested - to treat muscle pain.

Cherono provided documents to prove that his wife had been prescribed trimetazidine, but investigations revealed "several inconsistencies" before Cherono admitted the allegations and accepted the ban.

Cherono won the prestigious Boston and Chicago marathons in 2019.