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Women's marathon world record-holder the athlete has been banned for 36 months after the Kenyan admitted to anti-doping rule violations.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in the seventh month following a positive test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which pre-date that test - including her world record time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a four-year ban but the runner's punishment was lowered to three years because she admitted to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the AIU will continue to investigate proof from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - including messages from as early as the year 2022.

"The case concerning the positive test for the substance has been resolved, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on the runner's device to ascertain 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 under 2:10, could not provide 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 under the detection threshold were also identified in a test collected from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, Chepngetich was shown the aforementioned questionable proof obtained from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been ruled out by the AIU.

Chepngetich altered her story on July 31, stating that she had taken her housemaid's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after becoming ill two days before the failed test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the sport's doping regulations, such "recklessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after Chepngetich confessed to the anti-doping rule violations inside the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension commenced on 19 April - when the athlete accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's performances, honors, titles, appearance and prize money since March 14 lost.

"No one is above the rules."

"While disappointing for those who had faith in this athlete, this is how the process is designed to operate."

"The road-running industry should be commended for collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of revealing doping violations performed by elite athletes in their races."