Doping, Corruption and Athlete Exploitation in Kenyan & Ethiopian Distance Running

Matt interviews high performance coach Selva Yoga following Selva's earlier public comments on doping in elite distance running. Selva has worked with male athletes holding personal bests ranging from 2:25 down to 2:07 in the marathon, and female athletes as fast as 2:38. He has personally coached athletes from 2:26 down to 2:16 in the marathon. The conversation breaks down how athletes are caught - in and out of competition testing, missed whereabouts filings, and biological passport irregularities - alongside claims of uneven enforcement. Selva alleges corruption within parts of Kenyan athletics, including bribery, advance warning of tests, falsified medical exemptions, age manipulation, and financial exploitation by managers. He also raises serious concerns around coercion and abuse of young athletes, while repeatedly framing his comments as based on accounts shared with him rather than direct proof. Matt and Selva also discuss well known training groups and high profile athletes, with Selva careful not to make direct accusations without evidence. He emphasizes that both Kenya and Ethiopia have strong, clean systems operating alongside problematic ones, and that culture, incentives, and financial structures often shape the level of risk. The episode closes with Selva inviting athletes to connect with his Toronto-based Northern Endurance Project. Links Northern Endurance Project Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northern.endurance/ Be coached by Matt: https://www.sweatelitecoaching.com/coaching-2026 Join the Shareholders Club / Private Podcast Feed: https://www.sweatelite.co/shareholders Matt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/ Matt Training Log - Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359/ Contact Matt: [email protected] Topics 00:00 Podcast comment sparks debate 01:23 Coach background and philosophy 06:10 Brother Colm and Kipruto ban 07:03 Mafias and drug access 15:09 Sexual harassment by managers 22:22 Athletics Kenya testing reality 24:16 Are Kelvin Kiptum and Eliud Kipchoge doping? 31:38 How the truth emerges 33:42 Was David Rudisha clean? 35:12 Coaching ethics and trust 37:24 Good coaches in Kenya 38:22 Renato Canova under the microscope 42:48 How drugs get bought in Kenya 49:35 Blame the system, not athletes 53:41 Wrap up and contact info