Former marathon world record holder Wilson Kipsang was part of a group of 20 people arrested in Kenya on Thursday night for defying the country's coronavirus curfew, police said.

Kenya's The Standard reported Friday that Kipsang was allegedly part of a group that locked themselves in a nightclub to drink, thus defying the government's ban on leaving one's house after 7pm.

The police were alerted by a member of the public, according to The Standard.

"Our officers found the athlete and other revellers hiding in a popular club in Iten," police commander John Mwinzi said, according to the publication.

"These are high profile individuals who should be helping us in enforcement of the curfew.

"We are asking members of the public to stop abusing our reluctance to use full force during the enforcement of the curfew."

Kipsang, who won bronze at the 2012 Olympics and has won the London, New York, Tokyo, and Berlin marathons in the past, has had a year to forget.

In January he was banned by the Athletics Integrity Unit in an anti-doping investigation for failing to appear for testing.