A Track Star, Doping Allegations, & The NCAA’s Anti-Doping Policy Exposed

March 2, 2026

Multiple ex-teammates of the NCAA’s #1 DIII men’s distance runner allege he used banned substances in 2025.

Since transferring to Rowan University for the 2026 spring semester, Seth Clevenger has taken the NCAA Division III track & field scene by storm. On February 13, Clevenger, a former runner for the top-ranked Iowa State cross country team at the DI level, ran 13:32.09 for 5,000 meters, smashing the DIII record by more than 12 seconds. He is also ranked #1 in Division III for the 2026 indoor season in the mile (3:59.41) and 3000m (7:54.87). Thanks in large part to Clevenger, Rowan is also ranked #3 in the distance medley relay and is in the hunt for the 2026 NCAA DIII indoor track & field team title.

But allegations from former Iowa State teammates that Clevenger admitted to using banned substances in the fall of 2025 raise broader questions about a gap in the NCAA’s anti-doping system. Under current NCAA rules, a positive sample from a drug test administered by the NCAA automatically triggers a one-year suspension. But admissions, purchases, or allegations of banned substance use are handled by individual schools and do not necessarily result in a system-wide ban.

Two former teammates of Seth Clevenger from his days at Iowa State told LetsRun.com that during the 2025 cross country season, Clevenger admitted to them that he used a peptide, which is a banned substance under NCAA rules; one of those teammates said the peptide in question was BPC-157, which promotes healing in muscles. One source showed LetsRun.com what he says is a screenshot of a text message from Clevenger’s number in which he admitted to using peptides. One former teammate also told LetsRun.com that he saw multiple packages labeled EPO — another substance banned by the NCAA — in Clevenger’s fridge in September and that, according to the athlete, Clevenger told him that he was taking EPO. Ex-teammates claim that Clevenger eventually admitted to the Iowa State coaching staff that he used the peptide and was suspended from the team in October, right after running the best cross country race of his life. Let’s Run