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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been prohibited for three years after the runner acknowledged anti-doping rule violations.

The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a prohibited substance often utilized as a concealing drug - on March 14.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which occurred before that sample - such as her world record time of 2:09:56 in Chicago in October 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a 48-month suspension but the 31-year-old punishment was reduced to 36 months because she confessed to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining proof from Chepngetich's phone which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been deliberate" - featuring communications from as early as 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for the substance has been settled, but the unit will keep looking into the suspicious material recovered from Chepngetich's device to determine if any further infractions have occurred."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the first woman to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an reason for the failed test.

While HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in urine, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ below the detection threshold were also found in a sample collected from the runner 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, Chepngetich was shown the aforementioned suspicious evidence acquired from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been ruled out by the authority.

The athlete changed her explanation on 31 July, stating that she had used her housemaid's medication - marked as being HCTZ - after falling sick two days before the positive test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the sport's doping rules, such "carelessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after Chepngetich confessed to the doping rule violations inside the 20 days required.

The three-year ban commenced on 19 April - when Chepngetich accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's results, awards, championships, participation and prize money since 14 March forfeited.

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

"Although disappointing for those who put their trust in this runner, this is how the process is supposed to work."

"Marathon organizers should be praised for collectively funding anti-doping efforts able to uncovering doping violations performed by elite athletes in their events."