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Women's marathon world record-holder the athlete has been prohibited for three years after the Kenyan confessed to anti-doping rule violations.

Chepngetich was temporarily banned in July following a positive test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic used commonly as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

The athlete's accomplishments which pre-date that test - such as her world record performance of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a 48-month suspension but the runner's penalty was lowered to 36 months because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining proof from Chepngetich's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her failed test may have been deliberate" - featuring messages dating back to the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for HCTZ has been settled, but the AIU will keep looking into the suspicious material found on Chepngetich's phone to determine if any other violations have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed 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 positive test.

Although HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic below the detection threshold were also identified in a test collected from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on February 28.

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

Chepngetich changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had used her domestic worker's pills - labeled as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the context of the athletics' doping regulations, such "carelessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction applies".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after the runner admitted the anti-doping breaches inside the specified 20-day period.

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

"No one is exempt from regulations."

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

"The road-running industry should be praised for jointly supporting anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering substance abuses committed by elite athletes in their events."