The 35-year-old marathon runner has been provisionally suspended after a sample showed up the presence of testosterone.

Macharia, who came to international notice when she won the 2011 Graz Marathon in 2 hours 30min 50sec, set a personal best of 2:27:15 last year in finishing fourth at the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth.

Her previous personal best was set in 2021 when she finished sixth in the Cape Town Marathon, clocking 2:29:17.

In December 2021 she finished second in the Taipei Marathon in 2:31:54.

Macharia also won the Dublin Marathon in 2014, in 2:34:15.

Exclusive research by insidethegames in January revealed the extent of the doping problem in Kenya.

Of the 473 athletes or athlete support personnel listed on the AIU’s Global List of Ineligible Persons, uploaded on December 31, they had recorded 54 Kenyan doping cases.

Only Russia, with 92, and India, with 65, had reported more positive tests.

The AIU head Brett Clothier has claimed he believes a $5 million (£4 million/€4.6 million) investment by the Kenyan Government can "restore the reputation of athletics in Kenya and beat this doping menace".

Clothier recently visited Eldoret - a major hub of athletics in Kenya due to legendary double Olympic champion Kip Keino building an athletics stadium and school there.

"We're working very hard to solve the doping menace in Kenya," Clothier said.

"We are working very closely with Athletics Kenya, with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya, with the Government at all levels, national and regional, to develop the strategy for how to spend this money the best way possible."