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Female long-distance global champion the athlete has been banned for 36 months after the Kenyan admitted to doping rule violations.

Chepngetich was temporarily banned in the seventh month following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic often utilized as a masking agent - on March 14.

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

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a four-year ban but the 31-year-old punishment was reduced to 36 months because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been deliberate" - featuring communications dating back to 2022.

"The case regarding the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material recovered from the runner's device to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in the fourth month by the AIU, the marathoner, the initial female to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an explanation 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.

Traces of HCTZ below the detection threshold were also identified in a sample taken from the runner two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a later interview on July 11, the record holder was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been ruled out by the authority.

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, 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 revised account" and, in the framework of the sport's anti-doping rules, such "recklessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was granted after Chepngetich confessed to the doping breaches within 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 results, awards, titles, appearance and earnings since 14 March lost.

"Nobody is above the rules."

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

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