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

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

Chepngetich's achievements which occurred before that sample - such as her world record time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in 2024 - will remain valid.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a four-year suspension but the runner's punishment was reduced to three years because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the AIU will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's phone which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been deliberate" - including communications from as early as 2022.

"The case concerning the failed test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the questionable evidence found on Chepngetich's device to determine if any other violations have occurred."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the initial female to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an reason for the positive test.

Although the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of the diuretic below the minimal reporting level were also found in a sample collected from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a later interview on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her phone. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the authority.

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

The AIU had "major doubts about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the framework of the athletics' doping rules, such "recklessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty applies".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after the runner confessed to the doping breaches within the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension commenced on 19 April - when Chepngetich agreed to a temporary ban - with the runner's results, honors, championships, participation and prize money since 14 March lost.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"While unfortunate for those who put their trust in this runner, this is how the process is designed to operate."

"Marathon organizers should be commended for collectively funding anti-doping efforts able to revealing doping violations committed by top competitors in their events."