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Women's marathon world record-holder the athlete has been suspended for 36 months after the Kenyan admitted to anti-doping rule violations.

The record holder was temporarily banned in the seventh month following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a prohibited substance often utilized as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

The athlete's accomplishments which pre-date that test - including her global best performance of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a four-year ban but the runner's penalty was reduced to 36 months because she confessed to the infractions.

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

"This matter concerning the positive test for the substance has been resolved, but the unit will keep looking into the questionable evidence recovered from the runner's phone to determine if any further infractions have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in April by the AIU, Chepngetich, the initial female to complete a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an reason for the positive test.

Although the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, Chepngetich's test showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic below the minimal reporting level were also found in a sample collected from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a later interview on 11 July, the record holder was presented with the previously mentioned questionable proof acquired from her phone. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the authority.

Chepngetich changed her explanation on 31 July, stating that she had used her housemaid's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the athletics' doping rules, such "recklessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

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

The three-year ban commenced on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a temporary ban - with the runner's results, awards, titles, participation and earnings from March 14 lost.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

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

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