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Former London Marathon champion Liliya Shobukhova was ordered to repay her prize money following a doping ban. The Russian long-distance runner claimed victory at the prestigious London race in 2010.

Shobukhova began her athletics career as a middle-distance runner, claiming silver medals at the European Championships and the World Indoor Championships before transitioning into marathon racing. She swiftly established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the sport, securing the first of three successive Chicago Marathon titles in 2009.

The 48 -year-old triumphed at the 2010 London Marathon with a time of two hours and 22 minutes, crossing the line 30 seconds ahead of Ethiopia's Aselefech Mergia.

However, a doping ban subsequently saw Shobukhova stripped of her title and handed a lifetime ban from the race. In 2014, the Russian Athletics Federation announced that irregularities had been uncovered in Shobukhova's biological passport. As a result, all of her performances dating back to October 9, 2009, were declared void.

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The former London Marathon champion was initially handed a 38-month suspension. However, the penalty was reduced by seven months due to her cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency's investigation.

Shobukhova's suspension ended in August 2015. She was subsequently ordered to repay almost £378,000 in appearance fees and prize money earned at the London Marathons in 2010 and 2011, where she also finished as runner-up.

"Cheats should not benefit," London Marathon Events Ltd chief Nick Bitel said in June 2016. "It will be a long and difficult process, but we will pursue it.

"Any money we get back will be redistributed to the athletes that Shobukhova cheated out of their rightful dues. We are determined to make marathon running a safe haven from doping. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure cheats are caught and do not benefit from cheating."

Alongside her ban from the London Marathon, Shobukhova was also stopped from competing in the other World Marathon Majors, which at the time encompassed races in Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York City.

One of the standout moments of her marathon career came when she set a Russian record while claiming her third Chicago Marathon title in 2011. Her time of two hours, 18 minutes, and 20 seconds placed her as the second-fastest female marathon runner in history, behind Paula Radcliffe.

British sporting legend Radcliffe took to social media to react to Shobukhova's ban in 2014. The 52-year-old posted on Twitter that Shobukhova was "finally exposed as a drug cheat". The annual TCS London Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, April 26, marking the 46th edition of the iconic race.