Indian long distance runners Pradhan Kirulkar and Vivek More have been banned for three and five years respectively by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after they tested positive for prohibited substances.

Both athletes’ positive results were from in-competition tests conducted during the Pune Half Marathon on December 15, 2024, adding to a recent surge in doping cases involving Indian athletes.

On Tuesday, Archana Jadhav also tested positive for a banned substance from a urine sample collected during the same event. She has been banned for four years.

Kirulkar’s urine sample collected during Pune Half Marathon in December last year, which he had won with a time of 1:04:22, was found to contain Meldonium when tested at the National Dope Testing Laboratory in New Delhi.

His ban period was to be four years but it was reduced by one year following his early admission of the doping offence and acceptance of sanction.

His ban period has already started from February 19 and his results from December 15, 2024 — the date of sample collection — onwards will be disqualified.

The 24-year-old More’s sample was also collected at the same event in December last year and it returned positive for Mephentermine, Meldonium and dEPO.

More was to be suspended for six years for testing positive for multiple prohibited substances but he was given one year reduction in the ban period due to his early admission of the doping offence and acceptance of sanction.

His ban period began Friday and his results from December 15, 2024 onwards disqualified.

Jadhav’s sample, meanwhile, was found to contain prohibited substance Oxandrolone.

This synthetic anabolic steroid promotes protein production and muscle building in the body.

The ban came into effect from January 7. Jadhav has been under provisional suspension for the duration.