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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been suspended for three years after the Kenyan acknowledged doping rule violations.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in the seventh month following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance used commonly as a masking agent - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's achievements which pre-date that sample - including her global best performance of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had sought a four-year suspension but the runner's punishment was lowered to three years because she admitted to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will continue to investigate proof from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been deliberate" - including communications from as early as the year 2022.

"The case concerning the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on Chepngetich's device to determine if any further infractions have occurred."

'Nobody is above the rules'

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

Although the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's test showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

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

At a later interview on July 11, Chepngetich was presented with the previously mentioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the AIU.

The athlete changed her explanation on 31 July, stating that she had used her domestic worker's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after falling sick two days before the positive test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the sport's anti-doping regulations, such "carelessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an increased four-year sanction applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was granted after Chepngetich admitted the doping breaches inside the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension commenced on 19 April - when the athlete accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's performances, honors, titles, participation and earnings since 14 March forfeited.

"No one 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 praised for collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of revealing substance abuses performed by elite athletes in their races."