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Women's marathon global champion Ruth Chepngetich has been prohibited for three years after the Kenyan admitted to doping rule violations.

The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic used commonly as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's achievements which occurred before that test - such as her world record performance of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had requested a 48-month ban but the runner's penalty was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the violations.

Nonetheless, the AIU will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - including communications dating back to 2022.

"This matter concerning the failed test for the substance has been settled, but the unit will continue to investigate the questionable evidence found on Chepngetich's phone to ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed in April by the AIU, Chepngetich, the first woman to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an explanation for the positive test.

Although HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic below the detection threshold were also found in a sample collected from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on February 28.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, the record holder was shown the previously mentioned suspicious evidence acquired from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been ruled out by the AIU.

The athlete altered her story on July 31, stating that she had taken her housemaid's medication - labeled as being the banned substance - after falling sick two days before the positive test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the framework of the sport's anti-doping rules, such "carelessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an increased four-year sanction is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was granted after the runner admitted the anti-doping breaches inside the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension commenced on 19 April - when Chepngetich accepted a temporary ban - with the competitor's performances, awards, championships, appearance and prize money from 14 March forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"While unfortunate for those who had faith in this runner, this is how the process is supposed to work."

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting doping prevention capable of uncovering substance abuses performed by top competitors in their events."