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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been banned for three years after the runner admitted to anti-doping infractions.

Chepngetich was temporarily banned in July following a positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a prohibited substance used commonly as a masking agent - on March 14.

The athlete's accomplishments which occurred before that test - such as her global best time of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in 2024 - will remain valid.

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

However, the integrity unit will continue to investigate proof from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "strong grounds that her failed test may have been deliberate" - featuring messages from as early as 2022.

"This matter concerning the positive test for the substance has been settled, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material recovered from the runner's phone to determine if any other violations have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When interviewed in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the first woman to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an reason for the failed test.

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

Small amounts of HCTZ below the minimal reporting level were also found in a test taken from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a later interview on July 11, Chepngetich was shown the previously mentioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the AIU.

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had taken her domestic worker's pills - labeled as being HCTZ - after falling sick two days before the failed test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the sport's anti-doping rules, such "recklessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty is applicable".

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

The three-year ban started on 19 April - when Chepngetich accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's results, awards, titles, appearance and earnings since March 14 lost.

"No one is above the rules."

"While disappointing for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the system is designed to operate."

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting doping prevention able to revealing doping violations committed by elite athletes in their events."