From Ethiopia’s high-altitude heartland in Oromia, Adane Anmaw Mengesha has risen as one of road running’s newest sparks. Balancing endurance and speed, she has carved out an impressive range from 5,000 metres to the half-marathon, where her steady surge has turned heads on the international circuit. Last year, she clocked 51:00 over 10 miles and finished runner-up at the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler, marking one of several standout performances that lifted her to No. 55 in the World Athletics road rankings. Now, a major doping sanction threatens to halt her momentum.
On April 7, it was announced that Adane Anmaw Mengesha had accepted a period of ineligibility following anti-doping rule violations. Her sanction was formally confirmed that day, though the ban had already begun on November 5, 2025, the date her provisional suspension took effect. But how did this case first unfold?
Mengesha’s case traces back to March 26, when she received multiple intravenous infusions that went beyond the permitted limit of 100 milliliters within 12 hours. Although the treatment was prescribed for a medical condition, it did not meet the required exceptions under USADA’s anti-doping rules as it was not administered in a hospital or clinical setting.
USADA ban Ethiopian distance runner Adane Anmaw Mengesha for 5 years for exceeding the 100ml within 12 hours I/V infusion limit. https://t.co/BjJBsX3U3K
— 🅲🅻🅴
🅽🆂 (@cleans_letsrun) April 8, 2026
The matter came to light days later, on April 4, 2025, during the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington, D.C. During the sample collection, she declared the use of an amino acid solution delivered through IV infusion, which led to a deeper investigation by USADA in coordination with Ethiopian authorities.
As the investigation progressed, another layer emerged. Mengesha was found to have submitted falsified documents while applying for a Therapeutic Use Exemption, claiming the infusions were administered at a hospital in Addis Ababa. This led to an additional tampering violation, which made the case more serious and contributed to the length of the ban.
Under Article 10.8.1 of the USADA’s World Anti-Doping Code, athletes facing a sanction of four years or more can receive a one-year reduction if they admit the violation early. Mengesha qualified for this provision, hence reducing what would have been a six-year ban to five years.
Alongside the suspension, all of her results from April 4, 2025, onward have been stripped. This includes her second-place finish at the Cherry Blossom 10‑Mile race in the United States, where she ran 51:00, finishing just behind Taylor Roe.
Along with these results, any medals, rankings, and prize money earned during this period have been forfeited. But she is not the only Ethiopian athlete to face a recent ban by USADA.
Diribe Welteji faced a ban after missing a doping test triggers CAS ruling
In February 2026, Diribe Welteji, who won silver in the 1500 metres at the 2023 World Championships and finished fourth in the 800 metres at the 2022 World Championships, was handed a two-year ban after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a doping rule violation.
The case wasn’t about a positive test. Rather, it emanated from the athlete’s failure to submit a sample during an out-of-competition test on February 25, 2025. When doping control officers went to her residence, they were informed she was sleeping by her husband.
Even though Welteji was initially cleared by an Ethiopian disciplinary panel in August 2025. But WA appealed against the ruling, and the matter was brought before CAS. Subsequently, the arbitrator found that her conduct was “negligent” as opposed to deliberate, but did not undertake a convincing explanation for the absence.
Welteji’s suspension runs from July 8, 2025, to June 30, 2027, even though the results‑disqualification window begins on February 25, 2025. All of her results from that date onward were disqualified, including her silver medal in the women’s 1,500 metres at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing.
For Welteji, the ruling not only brought a two-year suspension but also erased a key phase of her career at a time when she was among Ethiopia’s leading middle-distance runners.
