Recently there have been a number of stories in the media of Kenyan athletes being caught doping. At stake is the clean reputation of Kenyan distance running.

Since the 1960s, Kenya has had more record holders and Olympic medallists in long distance running than any other country. The dominance has been attributed to a highly active rural lifestyle combined with natural talent and hard training.

This success has inspired many young athletes to take up the sport. Unfortunately, some have chosen dubious means in their quest to achieve glory.

Now, the winner of the Boston and Chicago marathons, Rita Jeptoo, has tested positive for an illegal substance. Some 20 of the 37 doping cases that have emerged among Kenyan runners occurred only in the past year.

A recent report found that doping is becoming a serious issue in the country, with several marathon runners being caught out. Kenyan runners and the public fear that the scandal could cast a shadow on their reputation even though the majority of the positive tests involve road runners, most with modest credentials.

In terms of international distance running, the credibility of Kenyan athletes is the credibility of the nation.

Doping in local athletics raises a number of questions about the country’s most respected sport. Is Jeptoo’s story representative of the larger running culture? Will Kenya be able to regain its reputation?

In a world where athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs seem to get caught, often with disastrous consequences for their careers, what would compel an athlete to risk not only his or her health but livelihood as well?

Jeptoo had much to lose should the doping allegation be upheld. And her case is the most likely to draw intense scrutiny from the entire Kenyan athletics system.

Running is a viable means to a great lifestyle in Kenya. Combine that with loosely regulated pharmacies and athletes, doctors, husbands, agents and coaches who have everything to gain from a runner placing well in an international race, and you have a volatile mix.

Fans, coaches, family and sponsors have high expectations for athletes, and they hold their records and seemingly superhuman feats in high regard. These expectations are frequently unrealistic, but can place considerable pressure on athletes.

Elite athletes are aware of what’s happening around them, what rumours persist in the sport, and what performances are dubious. Presumption of ignorance does the athlete a disservice. These tendencies can make performance-enhancing drugs seem not only justified, but necessary.

Why doping? Financial gain is one of the reasons. Not all athletes are wealthy. Financial gain often comes in the form of sponsorships and prize money. But these positive tests are coming from the road runners, not so much the elite track athletes.

Unless you are in the top three in the world, there is little money to be earned on the track. Still, winning the “modest” sum of $50,000 can change the life of a Kenyan athlete. To some it is a fortune, and with that comes some temptation.

Because much of the money is in road races, an athlete may think they can win two or three major marathons before they are caught. Popular drug Erythropoietin can help an elite marathon runner improve their time by between three and four minutes. The drug improves oxygen delivery to muscles, which directly increases their endurance capacity.

There was always likely to be a point where Kenyan athletes got sucked into trying to win at all costs. As long as there is money in the sport, or any financial reward, then doping will always be a concern. That’s the same across any sport, across the world.

The bottom line is greed.

Many athletes in Kenya put their all into running. They spend years paying coaches, invest in training and gyms, and may even get into debt without ever winning prize money.

Athletes are more likely to get cushy sponsorship deals and contracts when they break records or win competitions. Particularly when an athlete knows or believes that other successful people in his or her field are using performance-enhancing drugs, this could seem like the most attractive way to get financial security.

Although many athletes are regularly drug-tested, dopers try to stay one step ahead of the testers. Many athletes have devised novel ways to avoid being caught, and in a high-stakes world, it’s easy to believe you can outsmart the testing mechanisms. Indeed, many athletes have managed to do just that for years, so the risk may seem worth it to an athlete under immense pressure.

With our successful runners breeding more success, they inevitably opened themselves to the influence of foreign agents and coaches. As a result, drug testing in Kenya has become extensive, given the sheer numbers of top athletes.

Kenya’s doping problem appears to be well established, particularly with doctors and pharmacists open to administering drugs and writing them off as treatments (malaria apparently is the most popular one).

It is unlikely that any athlete would blindly accept an injection of any kind, especially if it is not administered by an approved doctor.

Athletics Kenya, the national governing body, has been accused of lax and inconsistent support for drug testing. They sometimes blame lack of money and resources, and sometimes the influence of European agents, coaches and doctors for the problem.

I was once asked by AK not to discuss the issue of doping on a weekly TV magazine show I was hosting a few years ago, because it would attract unnecessary attention.

Then again, AK has, in the past, insisted there is no problem, repeatedly downplaying accusations and the sudden spike in positive tests. But, even with a growing list of names, AK still didn’t take action and this reluctance has led to the upsurge of doping cases.

After months of denial, AK has started to acknowledge the problem in order to maintain its credibility. Hopefully, the shock of Jeptoo’s positive test will precipitate an investigation into long-circulating rumours of doping and eventually lead to more transparency in Kenyan athletics.

What needs to be done to tackle this problem? More education is needed for athletes, as some don’t understand what doping is.

There are plans to plans to build a drug-testing centre in Eldoret, and to utilise the Athletic Biological Passport, an electronic document that contains an athlete’s performance history. The centre is useful because if an athlete’s markers change dramatically, it raises a red flag for authorities.

Also, the ban has been increased from two years to four years, which will also act as a deterrent.

Wesley Korir, the 2012 Boston Marathon champion and a current Member of Parliament, has announced plans to introduce a Bill intended to strongly deter doping among Kenyan athletes.

According to Korir’s proposed Bill, any athlete who is found to have engaged in illegal doping would be required to either turn in the source of the illegal drugs or face jail time.

Given the difficulty of detecting doping, harsh punishments may be the best way to deter it.

Martin Keino is a former athlete and a sports marketer.