Julia Paternain on Jepchirchir Scandal: “I Don’t Feel Like I Was Robbed”

Julia Paternain of Uruguay, bronze medallist in the marathon at the 2025 World Championships, sat down with Marathon Handbook at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon media day for a one-on-one interview and lightning round, three days before her second World Marathon Major.

Paternain talked about how her life has changed since she arrived in Tokyo as a relative unknown and left with a medal, and what she learned from her Major debut at the London Marathon. She said the main lesson was to let the crowds energize her rather than drain her.

She also responded to the news that Peres Jepchirchir, who won that World Championships race, has been provisionally suspended for EPO. Paternain called her Tokyo bronze a “Cinderella story day” and said she doesn’t feel robbed. Her sympathy, she said, is with Susanna Sullivan, who finished fourth. She noted that the Tokyo result stands while the case goes through its process. She also talked about what could change: lifetime bans, the prize money and contract income clean athletes lose to doped rivals, closer scrutiny of the teams around athletes, and progress with the biological passport.

In the lightning round, Paternain covered her Saucony Endorphin Elite, her Maurten fueling plan, Nomio and bicarb, the counting trick she uses when a race gets hard, why Paula Radcliffe is her running hero, and her perfect count of 10 healthy toenails. She also said who she least wants next to her at mile 25, and why she wouldn’t predict her finishing time.

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CHAPTERS:

0:00 Life since World Championships bronze
0:44 Lessons from the London Marathon
1:45 Peres Jepchirchir and a “Cinderella story day”
3:05 What should change in the fight against doping
4:40 Lightning round: race shoes
4:52 Carbs and fueling
5:22 Nomio, bicarb and lactate gels
5:50 Her counting trick when it gets hard
6:20 Favourite runner: Paula Radcliffe
6:38 Harry Styles at MSG vs. winning New York
7:15 Healthy toenail count
7:25 Trash talk
7:47 Racing for an Olympic qualifier
8:12 Who she doesn’t want next to her at mile 25
8:27 Time prediction