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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been prohibited for 36 months after the runner admitted to anti-doping rule violations.

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

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

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a four-year suspension but the runner's penalty was lowered to 36 months because she admitted to the violations.

However, the AIU will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - featuring messages from as early as 2022.

"The case concerning the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from the runner's phone to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When interviewed in April by the AIU, the marathoner, the initial female to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an reason for the failed test.

Although the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, Chepngetich's sample showed an approximate level of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic under the minimal reporting level were also found in a sample taken from the runner two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a later interview on 11 July, Chepngetich was shown the aforementioned suspicious evidence acquired from her phone. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the AIU.

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had taken her housemaid's medication - labeled as being the banned substance - after falling sick two days before the failed test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the context of the sport's anti-doping rules, such "recklessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after the runner admitted the anti-doping breaches within the specified 20-day period.

The three-year ban started on 19 April - when Chepngetich agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's performances, awards, championships, participation and earnings from March 14 lost.

"Nobody is above the rules."

"Although disappointing 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 anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering doping violations committed by elite athletes in their events."