Fagan is banned for two years

Irish marathon runner Martin Fagan has been banned for two years by Athletics Ireland following his failed doping test.

The Mullingar native tested positive for EPO at an out of competition test in Tuscon, Arizona, on 10 December of last year.

The 28-year-old had already admitted that his battle against injury, financial pressure and an ongoing fight against depression, led him to take the performance enhancer in November.

A joint statement from Athletics Ireland and the Irish Sports Council confirmed the ban and read: "The Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel has determined that Martin Fagan, an athlete affiliated to Athletics Ireland, has committed an anti-doping rule violation.

"The Panel found that, contrary to Article 2.1 of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules, Mr Fagan, tested positive for the presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolite or marker, recombinant erythropoietin, in a sample of his urine collected on behalf of the Irish Sports Council during out of competition testing at Tucson, Arizona on the 10th December 2011.

"Mr Fagan has been sanctioned, subject to his right to appeal within 14 days, by the imposition on him of a period of ineligibility for two years.

"The Panel has decided that because of the prompt admission of the violation by Mr Fagan the appropriate commencement date for the period of ineligibility is 10th December 2011, the date on which the sample was collected."

Fagan is not expected to appeal the ban after previously indicating that he would accept whatever punishment came his way.