2025 year 9 month 23 day, the Athletics Integrity Unit (Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU) announced, Tanzanian female distance running starJackline·Sakilu (Jackline Sakilu) tested positive for steroids, and has been provisionally suspended. The news has caused a significant stir in the international athletics community and within China's marathon circles.

The 39 year-old Sakiru, even by the marathon's long lifecycle she is already considered old for the event, but in recent years she has bucked the trend and emerged as a top distance runner. She holds the Tanzanian half marathon national record (1 hour 06minutes 05seconds), and in recent years she has frequently raced in China, attracting attention with consistently strong and eye-catching results.

At the 2023 Shanghai Marathon, she recorded 2 hours 26 minutes 50  seconds, placing eighth;

At the 2024Chongqing Marathon, she won in 2 hours 21 minutes 27seconds, setting a new personal best.

That same yearShanghai10 km Elite Race, she ran 33 minutes 17 seconds, taking runner-up.

Thanks to these outstanding results, Sakiru has become a 'regular' on China's marathon circuit, mainly attending races as a guest athlete.

However, following AIU notice, the star athlete's career has been put on hold. Although the specific details of the violation have not yet been released, the words 'positive doping test' are enough to cast doubt on her past achievements. For Tanzanian distance running, which has been striving to raise its competitive level, this is undoubtedly a heavy blow. Her sudden suspension not only shocked Chinese runners and race organizers, but also refocused public attention on a sensitive issue: the persistent problem of doping worldwide.

For a long time, East Africa has been regarded as the "golden source" of long-distance running. From the small town of Iten in Kenya to the high-altitude training camps of Ethiopia, countless champions have emerged. However, as more and more doping scandals have been exposed, the shadow behind the "East African miracle" has become increasingly apparent. Previously, several world-class Kenyan stars were suspended due to positive tests, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) even once threatened to impose stricter sanctions on the country. Tanzania, although smaller in scale and also part of the East African region, has raised concerns with the Sakiru case: is this issue crossing borders and spreading across the entire East African long-distance running landscape?

The appeal of running lies in its fairness and purity. Whether it's the World Marathon Majors or city courses across China, spectators want to see athletes win through talent, training and perseverance—not by shortcuts using drugs.

The charm of athletics is its purity and fairness. Without a clean track, any records and honors lose their meaning. “Results can be surpassed, but once trust is lost, it is difficult to rebuild.”Sakiru's suspension awaits further investigation and adjudication, but this incident undoubtedly sounds the alarm once again.For China's developing marathon scene, and the global running community as a whole, only by upholding integrity can the future of long-distance running avoid swinging repeatedly between glory and shadow.