Long-distance running Record Holder Ruth Chepngetich Handed Three-Year Ban

Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been banned for 36 months after the runner admitted to doping rule violations.

The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a masking agent - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which pre-date that test - such as her global best time of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a four-year suspension but the 31-year-old penalty was lowered to three years because she admitted to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will continue to investigate evidence from Chepngetich's phone which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been deliberate" - including communications from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the unit will keep looking into the suspicious material recovered from the runner's device to ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in April by the AIU, the marathoner, the initial female to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an explanation for the failed test.

Although HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in urine, the athlete's test showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic under the detection threshold were also found in a sample collected from the runner 14 days prior, on February 28.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, the record holder was shown the previously mentioned questionable proof obtained from her phone. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the AIU.

The athlete changed her explanation on 31 July, claiming that she had taken her housemaid's pills - labeled as being the banned substance - after falling sick 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The unit had "major doubts about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the athletics' anti-doping rules, such "recklessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month sanction applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after Chepngetich admitted 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 competitor's performances, honors, championships, participation and earnings since 14 March forfeited.

"Nobody is above the rules."

"Although 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 commended for collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering substance abuses performed by elite athletes in their races."